When Indiana football coach Tom Allen was looking for a new defensive coordinator, he said many times he was looking for someone who was the right fit, could command the room and was a good recruiter.
He found all three in his new hire, Charlton Warren, who was previously an assistant at the University of Georgia.
By all accounts, Warren is a good fit, uses his military background to command a room and, as evidenced by his time at Georgia and other Southeastern Conference programs, is a good recruiter.
While at Georgia, Warren was credited with landing five-star cornerback Kelee Ringo from Arizona, who was the No. 4 overall recruit in his class. He had also recruited several other five-star players during his time in Athens.
And, he has done it, as he puts it, by not trying to sell student-athletes and families on anything.
"When it comes to recruiting, you have to swing, get in the ring and be ready to battle. Parents and kids care about real relationships. My job is not to sell a kid on anything. My job is to present a tremendous opportunity to get a great education, be prepared as a man and be prepared as a great football player," Warren said. "It is about that family saying I trust my son to come play for you. Kids and parents can weed out if you are not genuine. It is about being who I am and being relentless in knowing everyone in their life and build genuine relationships. At that point it is about them making an informed decision."
Jeremy Johnson, of the Athens Banner-Herald newspaper in Athens, Ga., told TheHoosier.com that recruits will "love" Warren and the Hoosiers will see an immediate impact from having Warren on the recruiting trails and on the staff.
"I think Indiana will snag some of the kids he's been recruiting the next few years," Johnson said.
Johnson added that what sets Warren apart is his ability to connect with recruits and families, adding that Warren's military background in the United States Air Force plays to his benefit.
"Young people like that. They sense that he genuinely cares what happens to them. The obvious things like routine and structure make him successful. Being in the military teaches people about having people's backs," Johnson said. "As a coach at the college level, the kids want genuine people in their corner. That background breeds that. They can coach hard and love hard and separate the two."
Warren inherits a defense that features All-Americans in linebacker Micah McFadden and cornerback Tiawan Mullen, as well as several other key pieces. In addition, Indiana is in the mix for several talented defensive prospects, and Johnson says fans will notice a difference with Warren on the staff.
"I do think (he) is one of the most underrated defensive back coaches in the country as far as developing those guys. Guys like D.J. Daniel, that weren't an obvious five-star, has turned into a legitimate NFL prospect because of his coaching. He had special talent to coach, but he got them technically sound," Johnson said.
As someone who has coached in the ACC and SEC, Warren knows there are quality players in every state, and his goal is to draw as many of them to Indiana as he can.
“You know what, you're not going to get them all, but if you don't try, you won't get any of them,” Warren said. “So we're going to try, we're going to get into ring, we're going to throw punches, and we're going to try to recruit the best young men for Indiana University to help our team develop as a culture and help us win games in the future.”
And, if that includes a long road trip to try and land a student-athlete and his family to Bloomington, Warren is fine with that.
“From an area standpoint I've recruited everywhere,” he said. “I've been in some different places, but obviously, I have strong ties being from the state of Georgia. Being in the SEC for four years, I've recruited the state of Florida for my time being at the University of Florida. I sort of recruited nationally when it comes to defensive backs and skill positions. So for me, I can go recruit in Alaska, if you need me to. If the player is good enough I'll go there.”
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