Reaves talks USC, recruiting
Talked to Tennessee QBs coach and former USC assistant David Reaves this morning for a story that will run in Thursday’s editions.
Reaves angered many Gamecock fans – and was criticized publicly by former USC tailback and Columbia sports talk radio host Duce Staley – for recruiting players who were committed to the Gamecocks after he arrived at UT in December.
But Reaves, who spent seven years at USC under Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier, said he did not view it in those terms.
“I don’t think it was anything like that, as far as guys that were committed to South Carolina or guys that were not committed to South Carolina,” Reaves said. “We got in here in December and put our staff together. And we tried to go recruit the best players that we could all over the country.
“That’s the unique thing about Tennessee, is you’ve got to do a lot of out-of-state recruiting. We’ve just to go out there and recruit the best guys we can get.”
Vols first-year coach Lane Kiffin, Reaves’ brother-in-law, said it is standard practice for assistants to go after players they were familiar with from their previous coaching stops.
“I think that’s very standard. I would have been disappointed in David or Eddie Gran, who came from Auburn, or Lance Thompson, who came from Alabama, if they didn’t compete to see if kids were sure about their decision,” Kiffin said.
“That’s recruiting. I can’t imagine doing it another way when you come in your first year and hiring coaches, that there’s so many good players out there that you don’t try to go get. I don’t know another way to do it.”
Reaves, who was the Gamecocks’ recruiting coordinator and was the main recruiter for QB Stephen Garcia and DE Cliff Matthews, said he left USC on good terms.
“Coach Spurrier’s great. He’s a true professional in everything he does,” Reaves said. “He does a phenomenal job with the offense and I’ll respect him ‘til the day I die.”
Look for more from Reaves in Thursday’ story.
9 Comments to “Reaves talks USC, recruiting”
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USC football beat writer Joe Person has covered the Gamecocks since the start of the 2002 season. He's been on the college football beat since 1993. 
I guess lying runs in the family,,even if they are bro-n-laws,,,,
Would like to ask both Lane and David if they are both man enough to” PUMP GAS ” for their wives or are they too good for that,,,,,the stupid SOB,,,GO COCKS,,,,,
It sure looks like Reaves may be hedging his bets now. I bet you would NOT have gotten that comment out of him in the heat of recruiting. I don’t have a problem with Reaves going after South Carolina recruits the second he stepped foot on UTs campus… that is the name of the game. At least Kiffin was honest about it… Reaves sure sounds like he isn’t sure Tennessee is all that secure!
Kiffin is so full of it.
I like the new layout!!
“As soon as his brother-in-law was announced, I said, ‘I know you’re going there. You should go there,’” USC coach Steve Spurrier said.
That comment sounds to me like SOS kind of wanted Reaves to leave. Most all of us complained about the lack of QB development. Mangus is doing such a great job in that area with Garcia all I can say is I am not mad at Reaves at all for leaving. I honestly thank him for it with no hard feelings at all on my part he did us a big favor.
I don’t care if it’s standard or not-It was classic backstabbing. How can you tell a kid on Friday before the Clemson game to come to USC and then on Sunday tell them to come to UT?
Hey folks, comment all you want on the recruiting stuff, but ease up on the personal attacks.
And Foghorn, Spurrier said Reaves left on good terms. As for recruiting kids committed to USC, Spurrier said it would have been more ethical for another UT asst. other than Reaves to do so.
But Spurrier said it wasn’t a “big deal.”
WHY IS IT THAT THE POST AND COURIER CAN WRITE EXCELLENT ARTICLES ABOUT USC, AND WITHOUT ALL OF THE GRAMMATICAL ERROR’S, AND OUR HOME TOWN PAPER CAN NOT? YOU GUYS, AT THE STATE, SHOULD BE ASHAMED!