Yeah, because no other schools are smart enough to hire ex-players to be assistant coaches. It'll give us a real edge.
Grayer: "Look guy, I played here. It was awesome. You'll be a king on campus. Sure, you won't win much and won't know who your coach will be after your freshman year, but people will know you play basketball because you're so tall and that'll go a long ways around here. I'm black, too, in case you hadn't noticed. Did I tell you I played in the NBA?"
Player: "Yes, and I told you I wasn't born when that happened. By the way, what were you doing prior to coming to ISU as an assistant."
Grayer: "Well, I was just fired for job performance issues. Thanks for asking. Are you ready to sign yet?"
While I disagree, that is pretty funny.
We know he doesn't have a ton of great experience. Here's the thing. Guys are knocking down our door. You can say he isn't proven, but just because he isn't proven doesn't mean that he is not a good fit. I don't know if he is a good fit. I don't have enough information. My point is that you are bringing in someone who has credibility as a big time college player and that can be perceived in a very positive light by recruits. It doesn't give us a leg up, however it may even a battle here and there if he is recruiting. Maybe he isn't a recruiter. Maybe he understand how to develop a position group and can help with the on the floor stuff. Maybe he is very approachable and the players can go through him to convey concerns. I don't think there are a ton of assistants out there who aren't specialists. They may do more than one thing, however they may be better at one than the rest.