Chester Frazier is a strong believer in relationships in the realm of recruiting.
The associate head coach has become a renowned recruiter during his time as an assistant at various stops over his career and people have always been at the center of his approach.
“I’ve always been a relationship guy,” he said.
That won’t ever change for Frazier when it comes to recruiting, as he points to multiple examples of players that he eventually landed at schools where he started the process early on including both forward Amani Hansberry and guard Sencire Harris. Both of those players followed him from Illinois to West Virginia largely because of the ties that they had built with him during their recruitments.
But he has been forced to make some adjustments with the rise of the transfer portal and how fast those processes play out to determine their next destination.
“It’s kind of flash dating. Maybe you recruit guys for a week or two weeks but you don’t know him and he doesn’t really know you,” Frazier said.
Frazier is admittedly still adjusting to the different approach but he understands that some recruitments are more of a business driven by both NIL and opportunity than others. That has helped him to expand his network and also realize when not to waste time or resources on certain players.
And that isn’t just true in the transfer portal either as it becomes increasingly difficult to get prospects to consider a school when there is no hook or relationship there. It becomes even more difficult when you are trying to attempt that outside of your recruiting areas.
“That’s the smart part of the business now is not wasting time or money on flights and hotels when you don’t have to,” he said.
Frazier, who has established connections in the DMV region especially Baltimore where he is originally from, has felt that it has been a warm reception when targeting prospects on the recruiting trail to date at West Virginia. The Mountaineers brand has certainly helped, but there’s a business side to it, too.
“When those two meet you’ll see the recruiting take a big uptick, but we’re in a good spot. We’re in on some really good prospects so just trying to establish a recruiting base and all around the country find good fits that fit us,” he said.
Given his ties to the DMV, Frazier said that portion of the country will be very important to West Virginia on the recruiting trail along with other neighboring states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania. Those areas are also key because of how close it is and driveable which is something that he didn’t get to do a lot when he was an assistant at Kansas State. That in itself is an advantage.
“The good thing about here is I can get in the car and recruit,” he said.
The coaching staff also has displayed no fear of going outside of their traditional regions to recruit places such as California and other spots on the West Coast.
“I think a lot of kids will come to a place like West Virginia because of the opportunity. If there’s an opportunity to play,” Frazier said.
But the balance comes in weighing those relationships and the demands of NIL and other factors against what is in the best interest of the team. It’s a balancing act, but one that Frazier has continued to try to master in an ever-changing landscape across college sports.
Recruiting might not always be the same, but it’s critical nonetheless.
“You have to navigate that world according to what your team needs are and what your budget is,” he said.
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