Welcome to Twitter, Coach Romar

June 20th, 2012 was a monumental day in which the unthinkable, the unbelievable happened. No, hell did not freeze over, but the next most impossible thing occurred; Coach Romar joined Twitter (@CoachRomar)! Shortly after his plunge into the world of social media, Romar stated his main rationale – recruiting.

Among the various streams of social media options, Twitter boasts some 500 million users and daily pushes over 50 million tweets. And, while my teenage daughter seems to eclipse 50 million texts in a day, Twitter’s reach and social footprint cannot be denied. Popular among the tech, arts, and news communities, Twitter is also the social media option of choice for athletes. This week Deron Williams was the first to break the news that he would remain with the Brooklyn Nets by simply tweeting “Made a tough decision today”, linking a picture of the Nets’ logo. Williams was able to get the message out, without calling a press conference or doing an interview. In less than 140 characters and from the comforts of his cell phone, Williams let the waiting world in on his decision.

Obviously, high school recruits are no different. Twitter, and to a lesser extent Facebook, are the warp and woof of the world in which they live, move and have their being. A self-described “late bloomer” (no doubt with tongue firmly planted in cheek), Romar can use Twitter to stay informed and as an avenue for communication.

Strangely, Romar’s foray into social media, the world in which his team and recruits live, might just be the symbolic harbinger of taking the next step as a basketball program. The 2013 class is well chronicled being led by 5 star recruits such as Jabari Parker (Chicago, ILL) and Aaron Gordon (San Jose, CA), both of whom are UW targets, and the 2014 class looks ripe with local talent as well.

Romar and his staff are off to a more than admirable start in landing 2013 Findlay Prep star, Nigel Williams-Goss. Williams-Goss is an intriguing get for several reasons. First, he knows how to win. Second, other guys like playing with him. Finally, playing at Findlay with other high level recruits has probably helped him become more of distributing, floor general type of point guard.

Despite this strong start, there is work to be done with at least two spots open for 2013 and the likes of Parker, Gordon and Jabari Bird (Richmond, CA) still undeclared. Recruits who have decided to play for UW, have consistently stated the main reasons they originally committed – style of play and Romar and the staff. In fact, Nigel Williams-Goss has stated that “relationship” was a deciding factor for choosing UW over other schools.

Will Romar’s presence on Twitter be the deciding factor for other UW targets? Probably not. But, it can’t hurt. Welcome to Twitter, Coach!