FAIRHOPE — The coaching staff of the Auburn University football team, including head coach Tommy Tuberville paid a visit to the Eastern Shore April 5 for the Fairhope Coaching Clinic.

The clinic was hosted by Fairhope High’s athletic director and head football coach Mark Lasseter at the Nix Center and was attended by many Mobile and Baldwin county area position coaches as well as coordinators and their athletic directors.

“We have coaches from all over Mobile and Baldwin counties and Northwest Florida here. Both public and private schools as well,” Lasseter said. “It’s a great opportunity for us as coaches to get some time with some of the best college coaches in the country in coach Tuberville and his staff. And, it’s always great to learn something new or review in techniques and fundamentals. ”

For Tuberville, it’s also a way to maintain contacts, make new ones and keep the AU program fresh on the minds of coaches who have the most direct contact with potential college recruits, especially since most of his, and his staff’s , attention has been focused on spring training recently.

“We just finished up our spring and it’s kind of a down time for us and this gives us an opportunity to get out and visit different high schools and coaches and talk football. We like to meet new coaches and stay in touch with the ones who have been around a while, too,” he said.

“It’s also a fun time for all us. It’s not an off day, it’s work day, but it allows us to stay together and go to different parts of the state and sell our program. It’s not just a one way thing, it’s a give and take. We learn from them and, we hope, they learn from us.”

Tuberville added that the visits are a big part of the recruiting effort.

“The first and the biggest thing about recruiting is winning,” he said. “If you win games, you will draw some of the best athletes. Winning is the best recruiting tool. The second most important thing is coaching contacts. That’s where we let them know what our philosophy is and they in turn can interpret that to their student athletes. And it lets them know who would be good candidates. There are a lot of good recruits in this area because the population is growing and the schools are growing.”

Lasseter said the format was good because it allowed defensive and offensive coaches to focus on their position in the breakout sessions for for each position.

“This way, we get to ask questions and they tell us what we need to know and how it can help our team.” The Pirates’ coach also said he was happy to have the Tigers staff on hand. “We feel fortunate. Normally, we have to hit the road and travel to go to these types of sessions.”

Gulf Shores AD and head football coach Wayne Davis was among those attending and said his coaches are always eager to talk shop with coaches at the college level.

“We learn a lot at clinics l;ike this. It’s good for one-on-one learning, too and it’s just a great opportunity also to be able to tell a kid that’s interested in playing after high school just what it takes and lay out the kind of program a particular college has. It also gives us a contact at the college level to say, ‘Hey coach, take a look at this kid or that kid,’ that plays a particular position at some of the camps that most of the big colleges and universities put on during the summer. Plus, as coaches, we can always learn more. I’ve never been to one of these that I did not get at least one useful thing out of.”