yes, it's about relationships, it's also about what you are selling. If you are selling a high end client the same product again and again, then you are correct, it's about that relationship. However, the game changes if you are selling to a new crop of customers each season, which is what happens with recruiting.

He can develop referral partners ( high school coaches and former alumni that keep tabs on future athletes), but ultimately it's still a numbers game. I saw this all the time in the mortgage industry and was guilty of it myself. Many sales people I know get complacent with their sources/technique and when they do lose a "big" sale, they are in a situation where they don't have a suitable replacement because they are not prospecting.

I'm actually thinking the current coaching staff really gets it.