DES MOINES – The Drake University football team has received commitments from 16 student-athletes to join the Bulldogs for the 2014 season, first-year head coach Rick Fox announced Wednesday to open the signing period.
“I’m really excited about this year’s class and it’s one of the most athletic classes we’ve recruited in my six years at Drake,” said Fox of his first recruiting class as a head coach. “That athleticism is through all the positions. It’s been a great recruiting year for us and our staff has done a fantastic job of bringing in guys who are great students, great athletes, possess high character and have a passion to be great in everything that they do.”
The 16 student-athletes that will continue their academic and athletic careers hail from eight states with 10 projected to line up on defense and six on offense.
“The guys that we bring in here at Drake, love football and are passionate football players,” Fox said. “But it’s more than just that. They’re looking to great things with their lives and it’s a big picture decision for them. That’s what makes it so much fun to coach them and why we’ve have so much success on the field here at Drake.”
Fox anticipates additional commitments to stream in as he builds his first class at Drake following six seasons as an assistant coach under former head coach Chris Creighton. Despite the change in leadership, recruiting didn’t miss a beat for Fox and his staff.
“It’s always difficult when you go through a coaching change, but this wasn’t a typical coaching change,” Fox said. “Coach Creighton and I worked so closely together the last six years that the fundamentals and principles of our program haven’t changed. It allowed us to manage that transition very well.”
