Ep. 18 - Omar Hales - Lessons Learned in Life & Recruiting

This week's episode is heavy. Omar Hales from Baylor opens up about his life, and how he's been able to overcome time and time again. His story is inspiring to say the least, and you can just feel the passion and enthusiasm he has for recruiting

The topic I planned to hone in on was going to center around overcoming the challenges that have been posed by COVID-19 in recruiting. We do cover that later in the podcast, but this show has plenty for those interested in both the recruiting and evaluating aspects of football.

Recruiting-wise, it's clear that Omar, aka "Omeezy" is adamant about being yourself and authentic when building relationships. My favorite part of the show is when he talks about how he doesn't ascribe to the word "recruiting" but rather the word "relating". Omar's philosophy centers around building "REALationships".

From an evaluation standpoint, we talk about what it means to be a "numbers based" program and how measurables serve as the initial filter to the process. After filtering based on height/weight/speed measurements, the focus shifts to the character and quality of the person (are they a program fit). Last but not least, you go to the tape. In the words of Coach Matt Rhule, "Don't tell me what can't do. Tell me what he CAN do!"

And with all that, here's your roadmap through this conversation:

• Similarities Between Recruiting & Dating (4:44)
• Having fun with the recruiting process  (6:14)
• Connecting & Relating > Recruiting (10:41)
• “Paying your dues” in the industry (15:23)
• Omar’s Incredible Life Story (27:06)
• “If you want something bad enough, you’ll find a way” (33:00)
• Teaching, Coaching and how things came full circle for Omar (35:11)
• Lessons learned from Coach Rhule and Coach Aranda (44:18)
• The Role Recruiting Plays in Building a Winning Culture (48:14)
• Topic of the Week: Overcoming COVID Challenges in Recruiting (57:41)
•  The “numbers based” approach to recruiting & player development (1:00:54)
• Evaluating character & program fit (1:02:59)
• Philosophy on Recruiting Underclassmen (1:07:18)
• Sendoff advice for recruits, parents and coaches (1:11:19)