Columns and Courts: Built to Last: Robin Goodman’s Recruiting Blueprint Begins with People Before Rankings

Recruiting is often reduced to rankings, stars and signing day graphics. Head coach Robin Goodman sees it differently.

For Missouri’s first-year head coach, recruiting begins thousands of miles from Columbia. It means crossing continents to watch one match, sitting down with families after tournaments and trying to answer a question that statistics alone cannot.

Can this player become an SEC difference maker?

“If that means flying across the world to see somebody and have a home visit, then we’ll do that,” Goodman said.

That commitment has already reshaped Missouri’s roster. After inheriting a program with just one returning player, sophomore Alex Ackman, Goodman assembled one of the most highly regarded recruiting classes in school history. It is the foundation of a rebuild that starts long before the first practice.

Goodman’s lone season as Tennessee’s associate head coach and recruiting coordinator offered a firsthand look at what it takes to compete against the nation’s elite programs every day. Now leading Missouri, he has carried that experience into his own recruiting philosophy.

“It comes down to two pillars,” Goodman said. “One is the level of playing ability that can compete in this SEC league. The other is finding the right personality that’s actually going to develop over time.”

Those two traits are inseparable.

The first is measurable. Universal Tennis Rating provides coaches with a reliable benchmark for comparing players across the globe. The second requires considerably more work.

Goodman studies whether mistakes are coachable. He evaluates athleticism, movement and technical fundamentals. Then comes the conversation after the match.

Who are they away from the court?

“You have to figure out who the person is,” Goodman said. “Some of these players have trained in rural villages with very few resources. Others have had everything available to them. You want to know if they’re appreciative of the opportunity and whether they’re going to fit what want to build.”

That search extends beyond the player.

Goodman said recruiting women’s tennis often includes deeper conversations with parents than he experienced while coaching on the men’s side.

“The family tends to be a little more involved,” Goodman said. “Parents want to know their daughter is going somewhere safe with people who genuinely care about her. At the end of the day, everybody wants the same things. They want to improve, have a great college experience and become successful students.”

Relationships remain at the center of every recruiting decision.

Even with international rankings, advanced analytics and countless match videos available, Goodman believes there is no shortcut for projecting long-term success.

“There isn’t a foolproof system,” Goodman said. “You might watch someone with unbelievable talent one day, but maybe they don’t have the drive to improve. Then you might watch another player who isn’t spectacular that day, but they’re obsessed with getting better. Three years later they’ve passed everyone else.”

Instead of searching for finished products, Goodman looks for players whose ceiling remains well above where they currently stand.

That approach also shapes how Missouri presents itself to recruits who dream of eventually playing professional tennis.

College tennis has evolved dramatically over the past decade. Goodman believes it is no longer viewed as a detour from the professional ranks but rather another pathway toward them.

“We’re seeing more and more that college can actually propel players forward,” Goodman said. “They’re getting access to incredible resources, they don’t have to worry about paying to develop, and now they can still compete in professional events while they’re in college.”

Missouri plans to support those ambitions.

Goodman said players who prove themselves during the summer on the professional circuit will earn opportunities to compete in professional tournaments throughout the college season.

His philosophy remains simple.

If a player becomes ready for the professional tour earlier than expected, Missouri will not stand in the way.

“I’m not going to hold anyone’s professional career back,” Goodman said. “I want players here because they want to be here. If it’s truly the right time for them, then we’ll have that conversation.”

Modern recruiting also includes another variable.

Name, Image and Likeness continues to reshape college athletics, but Goodman believes tennis presents unique opportunities despite operating on a different financial scale than football or basketball.

“A smaller amount of NIL can make a much bigger impact in tennis,” Goodman said. “Especially internationally, it can mean a lot to a player and their family.”

Still, he cautions that culture cannot become secondary. Building trust inside the locker room remains more important than winning bidding wars.

“If you’re not in the right environment, you’re not going to get better at tennis,” Goodman said. “We’re trying to build a team first.”

That vision also separates Missouri from many of the established powers Goodman now recruits against throughout the SEC. Programs like Georgia, Texas A&M and Tennessee sell national championships.

Missouri sells something different.

“I think we have an exciting journey,” Goodman said. “Players have the opportunity to help build something that’s never been here before. They can create history.”

That message resonates with the type of competitor Goodman hopes defines the next era of Missouri tennis.

“We’re looking for people with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder,” Goodman said. “Players who want to prove themselves at the highest level.”

This years’ roster has already been assembled, but the recruiting never stops. Every international flight, every junior tournament and every conversation with a family continues building the culture Goodman believes can eventually compete with the nation’s best.

The names on the roster are only the beginning. The relationships behind those names may ultimately determine how quickly Missouri’s rebuild reaches its destination.

Columns and Courts returns next Wednesday with another exclusive look inside Mizzou women’s tennis, while Tiger Top Spin is back Monday with more analysis and features as the Tigers continue building a new era under Goodman.