Diary Series: Zak Buncik, Asst. Coach - UT Arlington

As quick as the season arrived, the first several weeks have flown by just as quickly. We are now seven games into the season and having a 4-3 record with big wins over future WAC opponent Louisiana Tech and a 36-point win over cross-town rival North Texas. Our guys have continued to build off a great fall and have carried it over early this season. Being seven games into the season, the staff has gotten an opportunity to see what this team is made out. Now we look forward to seeing just how far we can go this season.

As I am writing my second entry for the College Chalktalk Nat'l Coaches' Diary Series, I am actually sitting on a plane headed to recruit some future Mavericks. I think this is one area of the profession that the majority of the public does not see and fully understand – the amount of time and effort that goes into getting young men to become part of our programs. From the numerous phone calls to recruits, parents, high school coaches, AAU coaches, along with other key people involved in the recruiting process of the young men to just sitting down at the office and writing hand-written letter after hand-written letter until your hand hurts. With today’s technology, young assistant coaches like me have a leg up on the competition with such social networking services like Facebook, Twitter and Skype. The days of simply calling recruits and sending them letters are gone, though those components still a very integral part of the process. Now there is more emphasis on updating recruits with video highlights of the last game played, or updating them with pictures of new facilities and gear that has just arrived that they will get to play in at your university, or video highlights of the type of players they remind you of and how you see them fitting with your program.

While social networking sites have helped young assistants get a leg up in the business, the day of writing a hand written letter to your recruit or his family is still the old tried and true way to show your recruits how much interest you have for them and their talents. Within the past two weeks I sent out more than 750 letters to recruits, recruits’ parents, recruits’ family members, recruits’ friends, AAU coaches, high school coaches, and other important people in the recruits’ life.

If there is one thing that I have learned in this business from guys I have worked with and consider advisors in the business – guys like UT Arlington head coach Scott Cross, TCU assistant coach Reggie Brown, and Houston assistant Ulric Maligi – is that the guy out there on the grind the most and outworking everyone else in the business is going to be the guy that ends up at having the best chance of landing the players you want as a staff and in your school colors for the next four years. I took that to heart. I have not and will not let anyone outwork me when it comes to recruiting players. If that means I have to go coast to coast to get face time with players or drive 12 hours to go see a recruit in some remote part of the country then that is what I will do and not blink an eye at it. That said, I am about to hit the pavement to see as many players that can possibly be seen in three days. In other words: There is no time to waste. Back to the grind! #UTAMaverickNation

Stay up to date with your UTA Mavericks at http://coachbuncik.tumblr.com.

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