Brian Niedermeyer Talks Adjustments to Recruiting During COVID-19, What He Has Seen From New Coaches

Brian Niedermeyer Talks Adjustments to Recruiting During COVID-19, What He Has Seen From New Coaches

Brian Niedermeyer is a rising star in the coaching world. During his first three years as an on-field coach at Tennessee, Niedermeyer has been a star on the recruiting trail. He fielded questions from the Tennesse media earlier this week, and he talked about the challenges related to recruiting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Niedermeyer was the 2019 recruiter of the year, and he has been the heavy-hitter on the recruiting trail for Tennessee. He has landed commitments from Henry To'o To'o, Quavaris Crouch, Tyler Baron, and Dominick Wood-Anderson. He also holds a commitment from elite 2021 linebacker Terrence Lewis in the 2021 class, and Niedermeyer has served as the secondary recruiter for other key prospects.

He told local reporters about the adjustment during COVID-19, "I don’t think you talk to people in a different way. I think you still have the same conversations with them. It’s about personal connections and how you relate to them."

Niedermeyer continued, "On the other part of it, you don’t get to see them face-to-face, so how are you going to do campus tours without them being here? How are you going to show them the inner workings of the facility, the inner workings of the program, how you coach? How do they feel you without being able to see you in person?"

One driving force behind Niedermeyer's success on the recruiting trail is Jeremy Pruitt, who is a former recruiter of the year. Niedermeyer said, "Coach Pruitt put a big emphasis on building relationships and us being around at least the building when we’re here now and talking to kids at all times. I don’t think recruiting ever stops, and I think he is the driving force of that car. He’s always pushing us and continuing to make us recruit at all times. It’s the lifeblood of the program, and he understands that better than anybody."

Niedermeyer is joined by several new coaches on the recruiting trail at Tennessee for the 2021 cycle, and he said on them, "They’re doing a great job. I think the new guys we brought on, along with Jimmy Brumbaugh and Jay Graham, those guys are able to connect with kids. They have personalities that people want to be around. I think that speaks volumes, especially to a younger generation. They’ve been great additions to the staff."