Seems like the game is growing a bit so I thought I would start (what I hope is) a useful thread. Goal is for everyone to post 1 tip you wish you had known earlier in your HD career.

First one that comes to my mind is using the "Notes" feature during recruiting. I saw cub do this in one of his youtube videos and it's made recruiting WAY easier for me because you can see the notes on the home page. I jot a down a quick letter score, what position I will play them at, distance and signing pref. I do it for roughly 20ish players I targeting and saves me a ton of time not re-clicking on every recruit every cycle.

So, what's one tip you would like to pass along?

Number one mistake new players make is not focusing enough on Ath and Def in recruiting players. I tell new players that if they only focused on ath/def and ignored everything else, they'd make the NT every season. Once they improve their team and understand the game better, they can look more at the overall player.

Don't spend your cash too early!

Thought if I maxed a guy he was mine. I was sooo wrong :(

Don't battle for a recruit who is being recruited by a team with more than a full letter grade above you.
If you are a C prestige i wouldn't battle a B+ for a player unless i hit every preference and the B+ does not.

When applying individual practice minutes to your young players, focus heavily on green core attributes and much less on either non-core or red/yellow/black core attributes. Usually I apply 2-3 minutes on red/yellow attributes to keep them at bay (0 for an attribute that doesn't matter for that player, i.e. REB for PGs), 5-8 minutes on black attributes, and 15+ minutes on the green core attributes depending on how many greens I have to address. This allows for more rapid growth in the early years in areas that will more rapidly improve their rating.

Have a plan to scout efficiently before you start actions. Figure out what you’re going to do, what it’s going to cost, and make sure you know what you’re about to do before you start doing it. Ruining the first season(s) of recruiting because scouting wasn’t optimal is the most common mistake I see among folks asking me for help, by far.

Posted by cbeyer22 on 6/16/2021 8:47:00 PM (view original):
When applying individual practice minutes to your young players, focus heavily on green core attributes and much less on either non-core or red/yellow/black core attributes. Usually I apply 2-3 minutes on red/yellow attributes to keep them at bay (0 for an attribute that doesn't matter for that player, i.e. REB for PGs), 5-8 minutes on black attributes, and 15+ minutes on the green core attributes depending on how many greens I have to address. This allows for more rapid growth in the early years in areas that will more rapidly improve their rating.

This was a close second for me, but with a slight difference. Don’t be afraid to zero out anything red. You almost never lose anything when they’re red, except in rare cases, and then only if the player has bad work ethic and isn’t getting much PT. If the player is getting PT and has decent WE, I will often zero out yellows or even black attributes, if they’re not cores, and the player has core attributes I really want to focus on. Losing more than a point in those areas is rare under those conditions, and if it’s not a core, I don’t sweat a point or even two.

Get a successful and active mentor.

Posted by shoe3 on 6/16/2021 9:01:00 PM (view original):
Have a plan to scout efficiently before you start actions. Figure out what you’re going to do, what it’s going to cost, and make sure you know what you’re about to do before you start doing it. Ruining the first season(s) of recruiting because scouting wasn’t optimal is the most common mistake I see among folks asking me for help, by far.

This was my other suggestion. Everyone should be forced to read this when they start. Or at least it should be pinned.

https://www.whatifsports.com/forums/Posts.aspx?topicID=509170

Keep tabs on “out of reach” recruits that you would wish to sign. I label them with red.

One season at D2 BYU, Hawaii one of my guys labeled red was considering Cal all session. Cal signed all his openings, I unlocked scholarship on the guy, and got the recruit.

This is just one scenario of creativity in paying attention to recruiting details that most other coaches aren’t doing.

Learning to schedule to my team. The difference between a 25 win mid-major with a sub 100 RPI and decent SOS and a 25 win mid-major with an RPI of 100+ and a bad SOS is huge come NT time.

Recruiting - (DI) - color code all recruits that are at your level within 500 miles. This allows you to easily see who is in battles for recruits in your region which is extremely important when considering your own recruiting actions and which battles you are willing to get involved in as the cycle progresses. Also, know your main competitors relative recruiting strengths prior to the cycle beginning (positions of need, open schollies) and don't be afraid to walk on a recruit when you don't have the necessary resources. Lastly, recruit to 10 scholarship players when rebuilding as the additional resources are needed to compete with higher/equal prestige programs.

Posted by piman314 on 6/16/2021 10:15:00 PM (view original):
Get a successful and active mentor.

Great advice. When I originally joined HD, I took over a good team and immediately sunk it into the ground. I thought I knew everything. I was stubborn and stupid. I didn't turn things around until I sought out a mentor. I reached out to the previous coach of the team I was at, and ryguyrb steered me in the right direction. In a short period of time I knew who and who not to recruit, how to scout efficiently, the importance of gameplanning, and creating a beneficial non-conference schedule. Without his guidance I would've never won any championships.

When I recently returned to HD after a long absence, the first thing I did was visit HD Discord and get a new mentor. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Location, location, location!

Since hosted camps are incredibly cost efficient, know your 500 mile radius and what states are in that.
I use this site.

Also, knowing the other schools and coaches in your area of ALL divisions is helpful to know how to scout effectively to find recruits that are getable!!

Posted by piman314 on 6/16/2021 10:15:00 PM (view original):
Get a successful and active mentor.

This.