The conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
AS: What's your day-to-day like right now as you balance recruiting with getting into fall camp?
TB: My day-to-day is usually talking to prospects, to recruits and to current players, answering emails and answering calls, just trying to figure out the next, best way to recruit.
Let's say it's an atmosphere thing. Well then, it's about finding out how we can express that when all we can do is send pictures. Maybe it's how big your facilities are. Maybe it's multiple uniforms. The biggest recruiting tool we have is winning games, so right now we're focused on the season and whatever comes our way next.
Recruiting the state of Kansas is very important to me. Being a fourth generation Kansas kid and having a Dad who's coached football in Kansas for something like 45 years, this is my home. This is everything. It's probably why I buy all those things in purple. I talk to a lot of kids and they mention, "The recruiting guy at this other school, he's only been there for two years." Well, I'm a graduate here man, and I got married on this campus. My wedding ring is purple.
It's my job to figure out what aspects of K-State these kids need to see to understand how special a place this is – I think once they come here, they realize that, and once they leave, they realize that the state of Kansas and the people in it are special too.
AS: So much of your job is about energy and celebrating that atmosphere around the program. I'm sure you're having a lot of similar conversations with recruits, so how do you personalize that message and avoid things becoming repetitive?
TB: You know what's crazy? I'm not allowed to call recruits. Only full-time coaches can call kids, so we try and get the edge on Snapchat, with texts and sending out personalized graphics. I have an Excel sheet of 100 kids in the state that I keep an eye on. Let's be honest, probably only 25 of them are going to be players, maybe five on scholarship, and the rest could be walk-ons.
But even if it doesn't work out, I want them to leave with the taste in their mouth that K-State was awesome, and the experience was great. It's for their kids and their grandkids. You're always working for the future and you want people to think highly of your school and the place that you take so much pride in.
If another sport needs to use me, I'm always available. I've met with basketball recruits on the men's and women's team, I've met with soccer recruits. It's all in a day's work. It's good that I married a K-State alum because she understands the importance of this school, this community and that we all need to help each other. That's the K-State way.
AS: Between staying detail-oriented and bringing that enthusiasm every day, what are some of the parallels between football and success in your role at K-State?
TB: I'm not smart enough to be unorganized. Trying to be loud, wild and boisterous is probably the easiest thing I've ever had to do in my life because it just comes naturally. I was that kid in high school that probably got to told sit down and be quiet about three times in each class. I used to joke when I first got into this, that I get paid to do the things that used to get me in trouble.
You're always selling your brand. I wear as much purple as possible everywhere I go, and some people are like, "I'm sure you don't want to talk football." I'm always like, "Let's talk. That's my one of my favorite things that I get to do."
One of our former coaches, James Franklin at Penn State, still texts me, "Man, I can't believe you got the moped painted purple." I'm very lucky to have done this for 15 years.
AS: I spoke with a high school coach for a story earlier this month and it was interesting to hear his perspective on K-State as a place where it's not just about how many stars you have, but things like character and winning with guys that fit in the program. How do you identify that when you're getting to know these kids?
TB: When you ask them questions, how do they respond? What do they put out there on social media? What do they like on Twitter? What's on their Snap stories? The pandemic might slow this down a little bit, but in a year or two there's going to be some new social media platform coming around that these guys will all be getting on. Just keeping an eye on things like that.
AS: I think it could be interesting in the future, when your own kids are older, do you think they could they be an asset with some of those recruiting efforts?
TB: It's happening already. I'm not sure if I shared this on Twitter, but there was a picture of the girls scribbling on hand-written notes that I was going to send out. Little doodles in purple pens that I ended up mailing out to prospects. They do that, they come to meals with me, my wife does a great job. When Coach Klieman took over, he would always have me sit at the kid's table because that's where I fit the best, but my wife would always sit with the adults.
AS: Talking about the Powercat Auction a little bit, you're going to be auctioning off a pair of purple shoes. Are you thinking Nikes, boots, alligator skin shoes, what's the call?
TB: I wear a size 10 ½ and I've had two fans mail me a pair of shoes. They found them at a store and told me they thought I needed to have them. I was super grateful for that. But for this one, we're just going to customize their very own pair so they're not trying to rock my 10 ½'s and they can have their very own, custom purple shoes that are probably going to end up looking better than mine.
AS: People talk a lot about building a brand in college football, but between your shoes and your scooter, how much of that is your own personality and how much of that is representing the program 24/7?
TB: I want to be as much a part of this program as I possibly can be. I drive around in a purple Jeep and a purple moped and I wear purple shoes. That's not a problem, I do it with honor and pride. Maybe I'm weird, because in this profession, just as much as they can have you, they can get rid of you too, so I've definitely thought about that, but while I'm here I'm going to give everything that I've got for this program.
It's about trying to be loud and obnoxious without being loud and obnoxious. When those recruits show up on campus and we cruise around in the purple Jeep, it's just a way to show each guy that he's going to have a fun time.
There's a serious side to it, but it doesn't really work that often. You've got to be loud, fun and make sure they remember their visit. It's important for them to keep that in their mind. To make a lasting impression is probably the most important part of my job.
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August 21, 2020 at 06:09PM
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SE: Q&A with Director of Football Recruiting Taylor Braet - Kansas State University Athletics - K-StateSports.com
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