National preps playbook. spartan execution. building a championship big ten roster.

A brotherhood-partnership in the making for the past 27 years.

WHY ZIM…

Bio | Background | National Preps

I have been involved in the college football recruiting landscape for 30 years—15 years as a college football coach and the last 15 years as COO of National Preps. At National Preps, I built a modern, NFL-style personnel and scouting operation from the ground up—scaling a nationwide team of 12+ scouts, developing a grassroots-driven early identification system, and implementing data-driven evaluation frameworks trusted by hundreds of college programs.

I specialize in building high-performance personnel departments that combine analytics, standardized processes, and operational discipline to identify, evaluate, and acquire elite talent. My experience spans roster construction, transfer portal strategy, staff leadership, and long-term succession planning—all designed to create a sustainable competitive advantage.

I am now focused on bringing this proven playbook to Michigan State, transforming recruiting and roster management into a fully professionalized, high-accountability operation. My goal: position the Spartans to build and sustain a Big Ten championship-caliber roster by leveraging modern personnel principles, strategic evaluation systems, and deep relationships across the football landscape.

I. OVERARCHING PHILOSOPHY

“Evaluation over Hype. Fit over Stars. Process over Emotion.”

Mission:
Build a sustainable, talent-rich roster that aligns with the head coach’s identity by integrating high-level evaluation, data-driven strategy, and an elite recruiting infrastructure.

Core Pillars:

  1. Identification – find the right high school, portal, and junior college fits early and precisely.

  2. Evaluation – consistent grading, multi-personnel input, positional prototypes, measurable benchmarks.

  3. Acquisition – relationships, communication systems, campus experience, and ROI-based transfer decisions.

  4. Development – roster management + internal evaluation to retain and elevate talent.

  5. Retention – build a culture and NIL structure that keeps our players here.

II. STAFF STRUCTURE & WORKFLOW

Recommended Department Structure

General Manager

  • Owner of roster construction strategy

  • Final eval sign-off

  • Manages HS, Portal, and Roster personnel

  • Interface between Head Coach, Recruiting, Strength Staff, Analysts, NIL, Compliance

REPORTING TO THE GM

DIRECTOR OF HIGH SCHOOL RECRUITING

  • Handles HS calendar, area assignments, official/unofficial visits

  • Builds relationships with coaches & trainers

DIRECTOR OF TRANSFER PORTAL PERSONNEL

  • Portal “war room” lead

  • Immediate plug-and-play evaluations

  • 24/7 portal alerts, film cutups, background intel

DIRECTOR OF PLAYER PERSONNEL

  • Manages assistant personnel evaluators

  • Responsible for the Recruiting Board by class

DIRECTOR OF Roster Evaluation & Management

  • Lead year-round evaluation of the current roster, including position-by-position depth, performance trends, projected development, and replacement needs.

  • Compile end-of-season and mid-season personnel reports, identifying strengths, deficiencies, and actionable roster upgrades.

  • Work closely with the Transfer Portal team to communicate immediate needs and priority targets based on roster evaluations.

  • Support GM in strategic roster building, including projected attrition, portal risk assessments, and NIL impact on roster retention.

recruiting operations director

  • Campus visits, itineraries, logistics

  • Recruiting marketing coordination

creative social media team

  • Player graphics, commitment edits, visit recaps, storytelling

III. HIGH SCHOOL RECRUITING STRATEGY

  • Recruiting Footprint

    PRIMARY

    5-Hour Radius
    • Michigan, Ohio, Pittsburg, Indiana, Illinois

    Direct Flights + DI Hot Spots
    MID ATLANTIC
    • New Jersey, Philadelphia, DMV

    SOUTH EAST
    • Charlotte, Atlanta, Orlando, Miami

    MID SOUTH
    • Louisville, Nashville

    TEXAS
    • DFW, Houston

  • Player Identification

    Three layers of evaluation:

    Initial Grade (Film-only)

    Verified Grade (Measurables, Track, Testing)

    Live Evaluation Grade (Evaluation /Contact Periods + Camp + Junior Day + Game Visit)

  • Positional Prototypes

    Build clear Big Ten positional benchmarks to match coaching staff criteria, ex:

    OL: 6’4+ / 290+ / wingspan 80"

    Edge: 6’3+ / sub 1.65 10-yard / 33”+ vert / 6’8+ wingspan

    DB: 4.55 or better verified / loose hips / multi-sport

  • In-State Priority

    Create an in-state recruiting model:

    Offer the best early

    Build relationships with Michigan Coaches Associations

IV. TRANSFER PORTAL STRATEGY

Portal Window = Opportunity to Address Specific Positional Roster Deficiencies + Upgrades

  • Depth chart needs / NIL budget / analytics

  • Assign Portal Zones to evaluators (QB/RB/WR, OL, DL, LB, DB)

4 Filters Before MSU pursues a Portal Player

  1. Talent: Big Ten starter or rotational grade

  2. Fit: scheme, culture, academics, personality

  3. Timeline: 2–3 years left or 1-year plug-in

  4. Cost: NIL valuation aligned with market

Portal Hit-Rate Goals

  • 60% starters

  • 30% contributors

  • <10% misses

V. ROSTER MANAGEMENT & EVALUATION

  • 365-Day Roster Plan

    3-year depth chart projection

    Projected attrition (graduation, portal risk)

    Age + eligibility balance

    NIL allocation by position room

    Recruiting class size targets by year

  • In-Season Evaluations

    Weekly personnel meetings

    Daily/Weekly/Monthly evaluation of your roster

    Starters vs. developmental trajectory

  • Off-Season Evaluations

    4-phase system:

    • Strength & Speed Winter Cycle

    • Spring Ball

    • Summer Player-Led Development

    • Fall Camp

VI. NIL & PLAYER RETENTION COLLABORATION

Key GM NIL Roles:

  1. Roster Valuation: what positions cost in the Big Ten

  2. Retention Strategy: identify players most vulnerable to portal poaching

  3. Future Forecast: projected NIL needs 12–24 months ahead

VII. ANALYTICS, TECHNOLOGY, & SCOUTING SYSTEMS

Tools integrated to create the most dynamic recruiting/player personnel department in the big ten:

  • High School prospect identification

  • Offer tracker software

  • Transfer portal

  • Database management and recruit board

Analytics role:

  • Build MSU Fit Score combining:

    • Production

    • Measurables

    • Competition

    • Multi-sport data

    • Injury history

    • Personality markers

    • Scheme match

VIII. COMMUNICATION WITH THE HEAD COACH

Weekly deliverables to HC:

  1. Recruiting Board Status Report

  2. HS & Portal Hotlist

  3. Roster Risk Report (Retention Watchlist)

  4. Position Room Evaluation Summary

  5. Upcoming Visit Logistics

IX. FIRST 90-DAY PLAN

  • Day 1-30

    • Audit roster

    • Build MSU recruiting board

    • Meet every coach about positional prototypes

    • Build in-state HS priority plan

    • Install evaluation grading system

  • Day 31-60

    • Portal contingency board

    • Predictive roster model

    • Official visit calendar + communication structure

    • Build relationship map for Michigan HS football

  • Day 61-90

    • Create 3-year recruiting plan

    • Finalize NIL positional model

    • Establish in-house “live eval” camp structure

    • Present 3-year strategic plan to HC & AD

X. WHY ZIM AS GM?

30+ Years coaching/scouting/recruiting experience

  • Natural evaluator

  • Organized systems thinker

  • Leader of people & processes

  • Understands the modern HS + Portal + NIL ecosystem

  • Big picture roster builder with day-to-day operational discipline

let’s build this together.

go green!