With victory comes recognition. With recognition comes exposure. And usually, with exposure comes an increase in success. In the highly competitive world of collegiate recruiting it is things like conference championships and national championships that help boost a program's prestige and make a school all the more attractive for high school juniors and seniors.
So with Wisconsin jolting to a 9-0 start and a chance at both a Big Ten and a National Championship, it would appear that UW may have that added boost in recruiting the next few seasons. However, as experience has shown, Wisconsin went a long way in getting the edge in recruiting over its opponents when the program rehired Rob Ianello, current tight end/head recruiter, prior to the start of the 2003 spring season. Ianello has been named to numerous lists that tab the test recruiters in the nation, and has worked to put his system back in place at UW, a system the coaches within the Wisconsin system are glad to have on their side.
\He's been very good with the recruiting part of that, he's been on top of that and he's got a nice system where everybody feels comfortable with what we're doing recruiting-wise,"" UW wide receivers coach Henry Mason said. ""He's a guy that just fits in with our staff.""
Indeed, it is his track record as a recruiter that defines him as a coach. Ianello began his career as an assistant recruiting coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide in 1988. In his two years at Tuscaloosa, he helped build an Alabama team that dominated the Southeaster Conference. In 1989, the Tide won the SEC championship and received a Sugar Bowl berth. After he left Alabama for Wisconsin in 1990, the Crimson Tide went on to win the 1992 National Championship. He was a part of the staff that signed 17 of the 22 starters from that squad.
""He's organized and he is relentless,"" White said about Ianello's recruiting abilities. ""He really gets involved with the kids and he cares about the families. It's not a very complicated formula but he lives it. He loves to recruit and he loves to organize recruiting and he does a great job at it.""
While at Wisconsin during his first stint in Madison, Ianello served as the on-campus recruiting coordinator before being promoted to the overall recruiting coordinator. It is no coincidence Wisconsin built its 1994 Rose Bowl team during those years.
""I like doing recruiting because I like meeting people,"" Ianello said modestly. ""I like meeting young people and I like meeting families and I like to develop relations with people and I find that enjoyable. I guess I find the chase available. If that makes me a good recruiter or not, that's for someone else to decide that.""
Looking simply at his track record, it is hard to argue he is not one of the best recruiters in the nation. Although he adamantly believes the players deserve the praise for the performance on Saturdays, one certainly has to wonder if sometimes you have to look past the 1,000-yard rusher, the defensive sack leader or the experienced head coach. Because maybe it is not always the athletes on the field, but the people who put them there who deserve the credit. Either way, those who have worked with Ianello at Alabama, Arizona and Wisconsin readily admit Ianello deserves a great deal of credit for the job he has done as a recruiter.
