The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/846301
JULY 2017 ■ 121 fensive line and be the run game coordinator at NC State leading up to the 2016 season. When Doeren made the decision to add a creative media position on his recruiting staff, Ledford called McEntire to see if he had any recommendations. "I do. I'll take it," McEntire answered. And in short time, often working with Falaise, McEntire has made NC State a viral hit on social media with prospective recruits. Each graphic that is sent out, whether by mail or through the Internet, has a central theme that the recruiting office is hoping to get across to the prospect. "Can you see yourself playing at NC State?" McEntire noted. One of the more popular recruiting graph- ics brings that point home. The player dressed out in his high school uniform and helmet is staring into a mirror and looking at a reflection of himself in a NC State uniform and helmet. Hanging on the walls are pen- nants for his high school and NCSU. Many recruits who received it instantly posted it on their Twitter feeds and Instagram pages. "When you see them post it, personally it's cool, but also from a recruiting office standpoint, it's like we are making some progress here," McEntire noted. "He took the time to enjoy it, tweet it and mention that NC State is showing some love." When McEntire first got to Raleigh, he sat in on many player meetings Doeren had and then met with the coach personally to get a feel for his vision. Then he joined his fellow co-workers in the recruiting office to map out a plan that could be as long as four months in advance with material geared towards a specific event, like the NFL Draft. "All the coaches compiled everybody's favorite team," McEntire recalled. That set the stage for him to design a photo of each player shaking hands with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell holding a jersey of their favorite team after just being drafted them. The goal is to send out a new graphic every couple of weeks in order to maximize impact and minimize staleness. "These graphics are intended to be conversation starters for coaches," McEntire said. McEntire and Glasscock debated how to approach who and how many to send, ultimately deciding that limiting the number sent out made those prospects who do receive a graphic realize that they are a special target on the recruiting board. There is also the larger mission to increase the football program's brand name. Two themes that McEntire picked up on in his meetings with Doeren were a couple of slogans used often around the Murphy Center: "Hard, Tough, Together" and "1Pack1Goal." Being a fun program is another theme that McEntire and the re- cruiting staff are trying to capture and convey. A successful graphic towards that goal presented itself organically in May. McEntire had seen during a Twitter holiday called "Lookalike Day" a picture of Wolfpack defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable resembling "The Most Interesting Man in the World" icon from the Mexican beer Dos Equis advertising campaign that had been posted from the NC State football Twitter account by Wolfpack sports in- formation director Annabelle Myers. The striking similarity caught McEntire's attention. Not long after, in approach of the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo, NCSU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Eli Drinkwitz texted McEntire that they should do something with Huxtable. The result was McEn- tire grabbing a headshot of Huxtable and placing it on the body of "The Most Interesting Man in the World." The details were so well done that many were fooled into thinking Huxtable himself actually posed for the picture in a plush suit on a velvet chair. That spoof quickly proved to be a sensation, as have some of his recruiting graphics, including one where Falaise came to McEntire with a new album cover by a popular rap artist Kodak Black that McEntire used as the basis for a viral hit. McEntire estimated 40 percent of the recipients quickly posted that graphic on social media. McEntire also spent a lot of time on a graphic where a player is in the woods wearing a Wolfpack uniform with wolves surrounding him. "Epic-looking," McEntire thought after completion. "Not one person tweeted it out." Thus far, though, that graphic is proving to be an exception and not the rule. ■ Above: This graphic of defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable in the "World's Most Interesting Man" ad (top) in honor of Cinco de Mayo was very popular. Below: Offensive lineman commitment Gabriel Gonzalez wears his Eastern Alamance High uni- form while staring into the mirror — where he sees a reflection of himself in a Wolfpack uniform. NCSU assistant coaches were asked to find out recruits' favorite NFL teams. Four-star defensive end target Azeez Ojulari liked the Falcons, and a graphic waºs designed of him being drafted by Atlanta.