Is D1 worth it? Topic

jayhawks2130
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Ive been a coach for a long time in D3 wooden and have been at grove city for 19 years, after a tough learning curve i was able to put a solid program together for many years, I am now considering a jump straight to D1 and was wondering about peoples thoughts on D1 in regards to recruiting, jobs, alumni, and any other thoughts about D1.
7/6/2011 8:31 PM
pjbrankin
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I'm going into my third season at DI and I really enjoy it. As soon as I took a DI job, I looked at the teams in my conference and figured out what level I needed to recruit at to beat them, win my conference and get into the tournament. As a rule of thumb, I try to shoot for an average of 50+ ath/def at DIII, 60+ at DII, and 70 at DI, which I haven't yet gotten to. I think I've positioned myself to have a very good chance of winning my conference and getting into the NT for the next 2 or 3 seasons, at which point I can hopefuly move up to a mid major or at least have a better prestige.

Recruiting is definitely different at DI and it takes a season or two to get used to it. Battles were so rare at DIII and even DII that I never hesitated to pull someone down immediately. My first season at DI I did the same thing and ended up wasting a bit of cash when big 6 schools came calling.
7/6/2011 9:16 PM
atrain9954
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I have had both my teams in D1 for awhile now and I like it a lot more than D2 or D3. The recruiting is fierce, but to me that makes it more challenging and fun. I just took over at Purdue and I am excited to take this current cellar-dweller and become a contender in the big ten. Honestly, the whole point of HD, IMO, is to rise in the ranks and eventually coach a powerhouse team. I got lucky and am coaching at the university I currently attend. I agree with pj about recruiting, it is hard to get the hang of at first, but eventually you'll figure it out.
7/6/2011 9:40 PM
tkimble
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Like the two above me said, D1 recruiting is a different animal, especially at the lower ranks.  You really have to spend your money wisely and find guys that normal coaches would normally gloss over.  I have a blast at D1 because I feel like if I can build up one of these mid-majors to a perennial NT team, and one year make a deep run, I've done something a lot of other coaches haven't done.  Also, I aspire one day to coach at my favorite school, which is a great goal to have.
7/6/2011 11:03 PM
asher413
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For me (and someone that hasn't been above C- prestige in DI), it's simply a matter of what challenge you'd like.  DIII is the 'level' playground, with higher turnover, more 'diamonds in the rough', and has fewer at large NT bids.  DII has the most at large bids, the risk of the serious big boys dropping in on your recruits, and the challenge of *typically* better coaches on the lower half.  Low DI is not for the quick fix or easily angered folks, you have to work your way up, have a plan, and stick to it.  If that means stay in the Big Sky, or move up to the Mountain West in 5 seasons, know what your goals are to keep on track.  And DI is the one place that you simply have to say, "I can't make the final four with this team, no matter what I do."  (Yes, it's possible, but you can't go in thinking you're the special one)
7/7/2011 12:10 AM
pjbrankin
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So does that mean DII has the fewest number of conferences(and thus most at large bids) and that DIII has the most conferences? Never thought about that before.
7/7/2011 12:26 AM
jenningss
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Yes to the at large bids - number of conferences question. 

I have a year or two under my belt at D1 and enjoy it immensely. The recruiting is actually easier for me since I'm too lazy to do pull/drop owns. With D1 what you see is what you get. Also, it's important to know what the heck it is your trying to accomplish. If you wanna coach a powerhouse, go for it. Make your wimpy alma mater (or local) school better? Yay! Turn a midmajor into a Butler or Gonzaga is also fun. If your goal is to grind your teeth to nubs, lose your hair, and acquire an ulcer then set coaching Hawaii as your goal! 
7/7/2011 3:01 AM
jetwildcat
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D1 is the best challenge there is in the game. if challenge=fun, then d1 is the most fun.
7/7/2011 10:11 AM
car_crazy_v2
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Yeah, I'm in only my third season at DI and I've already found it more fun than DII and DIII, where I spent 7 and 8 seasons respectively. 

When I took D+ George Mason and made the NT in my 2nd season, I felt more accomplished than any other time in my WIS career. When you get an At-Large Bid at DII or DIII and get knocked out in the first round, I feel dissapointed. But at DI, when you're competing against the best coaches, and you see that your RPI or rank is ahead of teams like Duke or Stanford, there is a profound feeling of accomplishment that makes it worth it. 

Working up towards my dream job is also incredibly fun and I'm lucky enough for that team to be open for me to hopefully grab next season. 
7/7/2011 11:31 AM
mburgy
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^ +1

Working towards the "dream job" has been my goal from my first season. After taking a couple of perenial doormat teams in DIII and DII, I've taken on a the same challenge in DI. The DIII and DII teams were fairly easy to turn from aweful to mediocre in just a season or 2 with good recruiting. DI has been more of a challenge. Recruiting is a blast in DI because of the battles with the experienced coaches.

All that said, I like having a spattering of teams in each division in different worlds. Each division has it's nuances for the individual. DIII is great for developing rivalries and continuity. DII is great for learning how to recruit the DI pulldown. It also takes a pretty high level of game planning to beat the REALLY good coaches. DI is great for the challenge of moving through the ranks and actually making the Big Dance. 

 I've decided that I'm using my original world (Naismith) to obtain the "dream job" and then keep my DIII in Iba. I'm starting to develop some very good yearly rivalries with great coaches in Iba by staying in the world (thanks to alblack56 for always beating  me, yet keeping me on the schedule).

7/7/2011 12:49 PM
jetwildcat
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Not to mention, every action is amplified at D1. Only at D1 do i find myself fist-pumping if i get a great recruit, or moping for a bit if i take a calculated risk and lose. I just spent 60k on a potential recruit in Iba, only days after finally getting the job at my alma mater (Villanova, a job that took 21 seasons to get to). I thought I could win the battle, did not take into account rollover cash and lost. i was bummed. at d3 Carthage in Knight, if i get beaten out for the top recruit on my board, guy #2 is likely 98% as good as guy #1, so it's no big deal to lose out on him. I don't need to take any risks there, thus it isnt always as much fun.
7/7/2011 3:46 PM
bow2dacowz
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ive enjoyed D1, but it is obviously more of a process in building a successful program.  the only bummer is that you won't earn nearly as much in credits so in essence it becomes more expensive to play the game
7/7/2011 3:52 PM
zags27
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The best looking chicks will only date DI coaches
7/8/2011 4:11 PM
car_crazy_v2
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Yeah, two straight seasons I've lost battles where I dumped a bunch of $ into a recruit, but it's fun and exciting regardless. 
7/8/2011 4:25 PM
kmasonbx1
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I think it depends on your personality. I love D1, it's much more strategic than the lower levels when it comes to recruiting. Mapping out what you want to do, doing all the calculations for what others schools can spend and how much you need to spend to offset that is a lot of fun for me. If you don't have the time to be really into recruiting than D1 is not for you.
7/8/2011 7:37 PM
Is D1 worth it? Topic
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