Straight from the Sports Desk: Five questions to ask potential HSU football coaches

Representatives from HSU are down at the American Football Coaches' Association Convention this weekend holding "informal interviews" with candidates who could fill the school's head football coaching vacancy. Here's a list of five questions that HSU should ask them.

1. Given HSU's difficulties to draw top-flight talent, how would you convince a prospect to come here, especially on a non-scholarship?
- HSU is not going to outspend anybody when it comes to scholarships. It would seem to have a big advantage with California recruits since it is the only D2 football program in the state, but it's still an extremely tough assignment to bring quality players here. Personnel can make all the difference.

2. How important do you think it is to attract local recruits?
- It's unrealistic to think HSU could have kept Rey Maualuga or Maurice Purify (both Eureka High grads) around, but what about guys like former Del Norte quarterback Cody Leslie or Ferndale guys like John Thurston and Chris Hubbard or Jeff Hindley? Word is current Del Norte QB Chad Freeman wants to go to HSU. Will they bring him on? Any chance Saxon Schultz, Cody Hoffman, Roger McCovey will go there in the coming years? Greg Allen, anyone?

3. How can you bring more money into the program?
- This one is straight-forward. HSU relies on the relatively small, but generous, community for much of its funding and budget woes at the school will make it tough for the athletic department to request any money from administration. How can the new coach help get the school more competitive in terms of scholarship dollars and operating funds?

4. What new ideas can you bring to the offense and defense?
- College of the Redwoods was No. 2 in the state in rushing largely because it switched to the spread offense that is infecting college football today. Can the new coach do for HSU what Michigan hopes Rich Rodriguez (formerly of West Virginia) will do for the Wolverines?

5. What is your weakness?
- HSU pays three full-time assistants for a reason. How much does the new coach plan to use assistants and coordinators. Is he open to ideas from them?

Straight from the Sports Desk

Observations of three people who have spent years scribbling notes and scrutinizing stats on the sidelines and in the bleachers.

Five questions to ask potential HSU football coaches

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