In the mountain of information that's typically provided on national signing day in college football, one thing most schools leave out is the list of which assistant coaches were the lead recruiters for which prospects.

As everyone in the sales industry knows, it's not always enough to have a good product, especially when the competition is fierce. In the world of ACC football, which has never been tougher, coaches are "on the sales floor" in one way or another almost 365 days a year.

"Recruiting is like shaving," former Georgia Tech coach George O'Leary often said. "Every time you skip a day, you end up looking like a bum."

Assistant coaches -- the guys who make the phone calls, send the text-messages, fire off the e-mails, churn out the hand-written letters, meet and greet the high school coaches, etc. -- are the lifeblood of the sales operation. In the aftermath of (Feb. 1) national signing day, here are my nominations for the in-state ACC aides who made the biggest contributions to their teams' recruiting success this year.

Brad Lawing, North Carolina: When UNC coach John Bunting thought the Tar Heels failed to capitalize on his 8-5 debut in 2001, he hired Lawing as a defensive assistant and gave him the additional responsibility of directing the team's recruiting efforts.

Since then, the Heels have landed top-30 recruiting classes in 2003, 2004 and 2006, with each coming immediately after a losing season on the field. Lawing completely revamped UNC's approach and quickly built up a database that enabled the team to identify and seek out (for summer camps and other key events) top targets much earlier in the process. He's also regarded as an effective pitchman with prospects, their families and their coaches.

In Carolina's most recent signing class, Lawing was the lead recruiter for six of the Tar Heels' 28 signees: in-state prep All-Americans Deunta Williams and Bruce Carter, in-state two-sport (baseball) star Kendric Burney, offensive linemen Zack Handerson (from Florida) and in-state Morgan Randall, and South Carolina quarterback B.J. Phillips.

Also: wide receivers coach Dave Brock, defensive tackles coach Ken Browning, offensive line coach Hal Hunter, running backs coach Andre Powell, linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen.

Todd Stroud, N.C. State: The Wolfpack's assistant head coach and defensive line coach was the lead recruiter for six of the team's 20 signees, all of them from talent-rich Florida, where the Pack has maintained a steady pipeline under coach Chuck Amato.

Defensive end Audi Augustin, defensive back Jordan Delegal, defensive back Everett Lewis, athlete DeAndre Morgan, defensive back Jevon Walker and linebacker John Ware all turned down scholarship offers from other BCS-level programs to sign with State.

Also: wide receivers coach Dwayne Dixon.

Jeff Mullen, Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons' quarterbacks coach was the lead recruiter for four of the team's 15 signees, including two of its most impressive in-state additions.

Cary tailback Josh Adams, Lee County tight end Dennis Godfrey, Durham Riverside receiver Marshall Williams and Georgia quarterback Zach MacDowall all turned down scholarship offers from other ACC schools to sign with Wake.

Also: tight ends coach Tom Elrod.

Glenn Spencer, Duke: The Blue Devils' assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and defensive backs coach was the lead recruiter for five of the team's 26 signees, all of them from football-crazy states a fair distance from Durham.

Alabama offensive lineman Robert Drum, Florida offensive lineman Jarrod Holt, Georgia defensive back Matt Pridemore, Georgia wide receiver Jeremy Ringfield and Florida defensive back Leon Wright all chose Duke over heavy interest (and, in most cases, scholarship offers) from other ACC and/or SEC programs.

Also: co-defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro, co-defensive coordinator Scott Brown, associate head coach David Kelly.

Next time: back to basketball.

ACC Sports Journal/ACCSports.com
2006 Recruiting Rankings

1. Florida State
2. Miami
3. Clemson
4t. North Carolina
4t. Virginia Tech
6. Maryland
7t. Boston College
7t. Virginia
9. N.C. State
10t. Georgia Tech
10t. Wake Forest
12. Duke