Dortch highlights a really good point that I immediately thought of when we decided to hire Barnes - full disclosure; I wasn't blown away by the hire - but he and his staff bring an instant credibility and relationships with a different caliber talent than Tyndall and his staff initially came with. That isn't a knock on Tyndall, and the same would be true of almost all mid-major coaches stepping up into a Power 5 conference for the first time.
Barnes' guys already had standing relationships with more elite players, and that extends beyond this year. So, in a sense, the recruiting curve isn't quite as sharp for them. Now, they are just selling their same ideas and philosophies to recruits and their families, just rebranded in Pantone 151 orange instead of burnt orange.
That seems like the most obvious perk to hiring a proven commodity, even if he is considered a retread by national critics. Barnes and staff have already established relationships with the level of recruit we hope to attract, and that will pay dividends moving forward with the 2016 class, as they are perhaps not as far behind as a newly minted hotshot coach/staff from the mid-major ranks would be on short notice.
