Back in 2013, Jeff Monken was formerly introduced as Army's new head coach. The Black Knights mentor took over a program that saw coming off of a 3-9 season under HC Rich Ellerson and it was Army’s 3rd straight losing season.
During his introduction press conference, along with his one-on-one with GoBlackKnights.com Publisher Charles Grevious, it was clear that Monken had a game plan (aka blueprint).
It was also very noticeable that Monken also said "we" when he addressed in general terms service academy challenges such as competing with an under-sized defensive unit. He's already part of the fraternity of coaches who understand service academy football challenges and limitations.
Expectations
But, first, Monken had to set the expectations for everyone working in his new football program.
“Everything we do,” Monken stated, “is about recruiting. Everything we do.”
It has been the masterclass in Monken’s attention-to-detail prowess. Back in 2013 when Charles Grevious first spoke to the newly hired head coach, it is clear from day one that he set the expectations for every person who went in and out of the building each day. From that day forward, no one had to guess what the top priority for the organization was. The clarity is simple … "He’s direct and emphatic about how he wants things done,” former Army DC Jay Bateman and Texas A&M Aggies DC told GoBlackKnights.com.
He’d directly use those established expectations as part of his recruiting conversation, too. And when GBK has the opportunity to chat with recruits and/or parents of recruits who have spoken to Monken, there’s a consistency whereby it is clear that anyone who is going to be in contact with a recruit — will be held to established standards.
X’s and O’s
In college football, there are different kinds of sayings that speak to the importance of recruiting. Some coaches call it the lifeblood of the sport. Some like to say, “It’s not about the X’s and O’s but the Jimmies and Joes.”
Don’t get us wrong, Monken is clearly an outstanding X’s and O’s coach, but the primary reason he’ll go down as Army football’s greatest coach or in the top two is because of his sustained recruiting success. As he stated the when he was hired back in 2013 and he continues to realize that you can have the best game plan around, but if you don’t have the right people to execute it, it won’t work.
In a recruiting that has changed drastically, Monken and his staff realize that it is not always about the ranking and star rating of players, but also having the right players to fit the Army football system and scheme, along with embracing the mission of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Of course, with the Transfer Portal and NIL, the challenges are even more apparent, but the mission still remains the same and that is to find the best football athlete that fits expectations of both the Army football program and the academy.
“One of the things I really enjoy still about being here is that we recruit these guys and for the most part we are able to retain them through the duration of their college career and they get a chance to develop and we see them grow, graduate … it’s awesome and that’s what college sports is,” Monken declared when discussing the transfer portal this past Tuesday.
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