Richmond H.S. coaches angry with Withers

HARRISONBURG — Mike Houston says he feels James Madison’s recruiting relationships were damaged in Richmond under ex-football coach Everett Withers.

Less than two months on the job, Houston — JMU’s new coach — said he is doing all he can to patch things up in one of the state’s top talent hotbeds.

Speaking last month at Hermitage High School during the Commonwealth Clinic, a day-long gathering of the state’s college coaches and Richmond-area prep coaches, Houston laid out his program’s framework and expectations, he said.

During an interview last week, Houston said he also wanted to “reconnect” with the Richmond high school coaches, several of whom had apparently soured on JMU under Withers.

“I thought it was important for me to go down there to speak because I think there were was a little bit of damage done with relationships between JMU and the high school coaches and the previous staff,” Houston said. “I’m not being critical, I’m just speaking factually.”

The root of the problem, Houston and several Richmond-area high school coaches said, was Withers and his staff members pulling scholarship offers after prospects had already verbally committed.

“You start doing that, you’re going to have schools that you can’t go into, where they’re not going to let JMU in the high school,” Houston said.

It happened to two Manchester High School products — defensive linemen Andre Booker and Dexter Brown, according to Lancers coach Tom Hall.

Booker and Brown, members of the Class of 2015, wound up at the University of Richmond and Howard University, respectively.

Hall described Madison’s recruiting efforts at Manchester as “irresponsible at times.” Hall said Withers and his staff extended too many scholarship offers, meaning JMU did not have enough room for all its eventual verbal commits.

“There was no solid foundation I think with Coach Withers and his staff,” Hall said. “It was kind of like a revolving door. Richmond is a hotbed for recruiting, and when you don’t have stability, you’re going to lose the recruits more in Richmond or anywhere, but especially in bigger areas where you’re getting kids. The last few years, I don’t think that foundation’s been very solid. That’s nothing against Coach Withers, that’s just how I perceive it.”

Withers bolted JMU after two seasons, taking a job at Texas State, a low-level FBS school in the Sun Belt Conference. For this story, Texas State’s sports information department did not respond to multiple interview requests for Withers.

Withers and his staff went into Richmond and its surrounding areas to find three of Madison’s 2016 recruits. The players ultimately signed with JMU shortly after Houston took over: linebacker John Kinney (Hermitage) and offensive linemen Mac Patrick (Hanover) and Robert Snead (Thomas Dale).

Kinney became the third Hermitage player to commit to the Dukes under Withers. Cornerback Rashad Robinson — a Class of 2015 signee — played in all 12 games as a freshman and saw significant time in JMU’s nickel package. Receiver Christian Harden redshirted last season.

Longtime Hermitage coach Patrick Kane said he had a chance to meet with Houston when the Panthers hosted the coaching clinic. Kane said he had heard about the negative experiences some coaches in Richmond had with Withers’ staff, but noted Hermitage’s experiences were nothing but positive.

“[Withers] came through school himself and made it a point to come by himself when he could, which not every head coach does,” Kane said. “That made a big difference.”

Kane said he didn’t get the impression that Houston — who is relatively new to recruiting Virginia after years as a high school and Division II coach in North Carolina, spending the past two years at The Citadel in South Carolina — was trying to patch things up with Richmond coaches.

Hall, though, said it seemed as though Withers and his assistants were using JMU as a “stepping stone” and that they were looking for “bigger and better things.”

Hall did send one Manchester player to Withers: freshman offensive lineman A.J. Gray.

“What you never get used to is, I guess, how half-rate things were done in regard to promising kids and offering kids when there were no scholarships to offer,” Hall said.

Former L.C. Bird receiver Tyler Wilkins also had his scholarship offer pulled by JMU, Skyhawks coach David Bedwell said last year. Wilkins — who ended up at Richmond — caught 12 passes for 162 yards as a freshman with the Spiders, including a 41-yarder against the Dukes during UR’s 59-49 win in Harrisonburg.

Bedwell could not be reached for comment for this story.

Former James Madison commit Kumonde Hines, a former safety at L.C. Bird, followed Withers to Texas State when the coach bolted in January.

Cosby coach Peter Mutascio said he heard from colleagues about the Dukes’ discouraged recruiting methods at L.C. Bird and Manchester.

“When you hear something like that, you’re telling the kids, ‘Be careful,’” Mutascio said.

Mutascio said he had only limited interactions with Withers and his staff. The Titans have two players on JMU’s roster — walk-ons Chase Miller and Logan Wolfe.

Some of the assistants Houston hired have decades of experience recruiting central Virginia. New defensive line coach Jeff Hanson — who coached at JMU in 2013 under Mickey Matthews — worked on Richmond’s staff for 29 years across three separate stints (1971-79, 1989-06, 2008-09).

New Dukes inside linebackers coach Byron Thweatt — the head coach at Division II Virginia State last year — spent eight seasons at Richmond (2007-14), where he coached the inside linebackers and was Director of High School Relations for the last two years. The Petersburg native played at the University of Virginia where he was a four-time All-ACC selection at linebacker.

New Madison defensive coordinator Bob Trott spent the past six seasons at Richmond under Danny Rocco. New tight ends coach/run-game coordinator Bryan Stinespring gained a reputation as a high-level recruiter in the state over his 26 seasons on Frank Beamer’s staff at Virginia Tech.

“I’m very impressed with the staff he’s put together,” Kane said. “Some of the guys know the Richmond area quite well … so I think that’s going to be a huge positive for his recruiting the area.”

Benedictine coach Greg Lilly — who said he never experienced problems with Withers’ staff and has one player, junior defensive lineman Cornell Urquhart, at JMU now — has already spoken with Hanson about potential prospects.

“All the high school coaches in the state probably have some level of familiarity and feel comfortable talking to a guy like Coach Hanson or talking with a guy like Thweatt,” Lilly said.

Houston said his meet-and-greet session at the Commonwealth Clinic went well. He spoke prior to new Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente, touching very little on x’s and o’s and focusing instead on his football philosophy.

Houston said he also made it clear the Dukes will be active in the state.

“I told them that our assistant coaches will be in every football-playing school in the state of Virginia this spring,” he said.