BYU football's new recruiting coordinator, Geoff Martzen, has a lot on his plate

Provo • Before he was hired as BYU's new Football Player Personnel and On-Campus Recruiting Coordinator in early April, Geoff Martzen worked as a recruiting specialist at two of the most talent-rich programs in the country, Boise State and Alabama.

The native of Reedley, Calif., has been tasked by BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall to help bring the same level of talent to Provo, yet still find players who can abide by the school's honor code and handle its stringent academic standards.

"It's a huge job," Mendenhall said last month at BYU's football media day. "But he is bright. And having that component going 24-7 around the clock is really paying dividends. We are not Alabama and we don't have 17 people in that department. We have one, and he's doing a really good job."

A former assistant coach at several high schools in the Fresno, Calif., area between 2007 and 2011, Martzen helped Alabama lure the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation in 2012, according to Rivals.com. Last February, Boise State's recruiting class was the highest-rated in program history, with Martzen doing the coordinating.

In an e-mail exchange with The Salt Lake Tribune, because he was recuperating from surgery and not working out of his office last week, Martzen acknowledged the job is a big one.

"I am in the office more than I am at home, but I love it. The only reason I am here is to recruit a national championship caliber class. I don't have ties to the area, so it makes it easy to focus on why I'm here.

"That can only happen if we work harder than any personnel department in the country, regardless of the size of our staff."

Martzen said he is not a member of the church that owns and operates BYU, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and wasn't sure what to expect when he took the job.

"I have loved every bit of being a part of a program as historic as BYU," he said. "You hear things from people that haven't been out here to see this place, about how it is going to be. But you really can't talk about it until you have seen it."

Running backs coach Joe DuPaix served as BYU's recruiting coordinator before his contract was not renewed last winter. Mendenhall said Martzen fills that role, but also does much more.

"Geoff's job is anything to do with personnel," Mendenhall said. "With the way social media is, and constant communication, it became clear to me that with the way I want position coaches to coach, and the production required of them, it was not possible [for one coach to also be the recruiting coordinator]. I don't think they can do both. So that has helped our organization."

drew@sltrib.comTwitter: @drewjay —

Geoff Martzen file

• Reedley, Calif., native was hired as BYU's Director of Player Personnel last April

• Former assistant high school football coach previously worked at Alabama and Boise State

• Graduated from Fresno State with a degree in kinesiology