I've been coaching at A+ baseline Arizona for 9 seasons in Smith. This has been my first-ever D1 job in the PAC-10(12) region, and my first taste of west coast (desert) recruiting. I made the Elite 8 a couple times, but otherwise, it's been a disappointing tenure. The biggest frustration has been the hit-or-miss (mostly miss) quality of recruits within 360 miles of me. I'd say that in 6 of my 9 recruiting seasons, there have been no BCS-calibre recruits in my 360-mile local radius, which has made it a challenge to remain highly competitive in a very tough division.

I am seriously considering leaving for a B or B+ baseline type school (still in a Big 6 conference) in a better recruiting area. Interested on thoughts as to whether this would be a smart move, or am I crazy for giving up an A+ baseline school? From those who have coached Arizona in other worlds, would you consider this stretch an unusual drought of recruiting talent for the area, or par for the course? 

Thanks in advance!

I think you're nuts, but then again I have never reached that level of DI. I would think, and this is just a guess, that Zona with an A- prestige currently would be able to land some studs from >360 miles. Is that a bad assumption?

There are good recruits in California (>360 miles), but there are 3 A-level prestige schools (PAC-10 rivals) in the state. Also, in this world, the Mountain West is especially good, led by neighboring A-minus New Mexico, who will be even higher after just completing a 30-1 season. 

I might leave for Syracuse or somewhere equivalent. That might be the smart move.

A&M or Baylor could use you :-)     

You're A+ prestige, D1 and you are limiting yourself to the 360 mile  radius for recruits? That is more of your problem. If I had that prestige I'd be in other schools neighborhoods taking what they got.

Never said I was limiting myself. Do you not agree that if two-thirds of the time there are no quality recruits in your 360-mile radius, it makes things more difficult, especially from a consistency standpoint? Especially out west, where the recruit density is low. That's really the core question of this thread. What is better...  having an A+ baseline in a low recruit-density area where two-thirds of the time you're not going to have any quality local recruits, or a B/B+/A- baseline in a more talent-rich recruiting area? Which would you choose? And I'm talking baseline prestiges, here, not current prestige.

I obviously don't have an A+ prestige D1 program, but wouldn't it seem if you are maintaining that level without the recruits you are looking for you are better off than moving and going down in prestige? 

I hope to have this problem in the future, however unlikely

I am having some success at Arizona in Phelan but the recruiting out here is weird. Basically, you scramble and tread water trying to put together consistent Sweet 16 teams to keep you prestige up so that, the one year in four or five that the Gods drop a bunch of elite recruits in the desert, you can scope them all up and make a national title run. I think every area has it's own plusses and minuses, so it is really all about what style of recruiting you find most fun.

Never coached Arizona, but coached A+ Kansas and based on that I've said multiple times that I feel Kansas is the toughest "traditional elite" program to recruit to with the probable exception of Arizona, due to exactly what you are saying.  The way we do recruiting it is tough to fight for multiple top-level recruits at long distance.  For the scenario you describe it may be even worse than I saw, in that I did fine going west into say Utah to find some kids, but with a strong MWC that is much tougher to do effectively.  I felt Georgia Tech--even at lower prestige--was much easier to recruit from because quality recruits are so much closer, and the recruiting is driven so much by distance (and the associated cost) it seems.

Now, that all said, I don't think leaving Arizona is necessarily a great idea.  It may be tougher to get the kind of recruits you need to meet or exceed expectations, but unless you have a program in mind in an area which has weaker Big 6 conference schools close then you will still be struggling to overcome the prestige differential, and probably doing it on less post-season money (since it sounds like the PAC-10 is strong).  For the right situation you *may* get it to work out, but I'd think twice before I left A+ Arizona. 

Maybe you just need to shake things up recruiting--be a bit more of a opportunist, hold some schollies / cash in reserve and exploit where further out schools overextend.  Maybe even try a true "poaching" approach, and hold all effort back until late and jump in hard with both feet.  You may be like me and that is not your natural "style" but to break out of your old rut you may need to force a different style in and try it.  Food for thought...

To me this highlights some issues with west coast recruiting in general at D-1.  No recruits in Alaska, never anything good in BC region, not enough good recruits in California relative to real life, etc.  Just my 2 cents.

If you're having issues at Arizona, imagine how tough it must be to coach at Arizona St.

Prof, I eventually left Arizona in Rupp for the same reason after many seasons there.  Just got tired of being subject to the whims of the recruit generator.

Although I'm not an A+ program at my Colortado (Phelan), I feel the same way. If the recruit generator gives me quality recruits within 360 miles I'll have a good class, if not, I may get one very good recruit outside the area, but not the two or three needed to compete on a national level. Having Syracuse on Knight, I rarely have that problem as the northeast usually has plenty of recruits. The problem in the northeast, however, is the high number of quality programs competing for said recruits. So each area has its good points and bad points.

@davis, where did you go and how did it work out?