Posted by: Chris Vannini on January 14, 2013

When it comes to recruiting, perhaps no tool is more important for a football coach than his cell phone.

So I'm sure all coaches can feel the pain of Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, who tweeted that his cell phone was stolen while out recruiting.

cell phone stolen while recruiting.......

— Coach Ellis Johnson (@CoachEliJohnson) January 14, 2013

Johnson is in the midst of keeping Auburn's recruiting class together, and with Signing Day less than a month away, this is a very busy time for coaches. And if the NCAA passes some new recruiting legislation this week, cell phones could be even more important for coaches.

Now, we don't know if Johnson lost any valuable data or information on the phone, but consider this a reminder to back up your phone data. Whether it be to a computer, a hard drive or the cloud, make sure you're prepared for worst-case scenarios.

_______________

Chris Vannini is the lead writer for CoachingSearch.com and has covered Michigan State sports for The State News, The Oakland Press and MLive.com. He writes a weekly column for the Detroit Free Press on behalf of SB Nation. Vannini lives in Big Ten country, so his foot speed is far from SEC caliber, but his pulse on coaches is hard to match. Be sure to follow @CoachingBuzz on twitter and send your feedback to chris@coachingsearch.com