Western Kentucky has been recruiting Parker Howell since the Bobby Petrino era.

But it was the Hilltoppers’ patience when Howell didn’t want to be recruited that won over the big offensive lineman from Tennessee.

“They were always checking in on me, but they weren’t over the top and calling me every day,” Howell said. “There was a point throughout the football season where I was backing off the recruiting and trying to focus on the high school team. We ended up winning the state championship, so that worked out well.

“They were understanding in the process, and they were patient while I was waiting on bigger schools that said they were going to offer and didn’t.”

Many of WKU’s signees from last week’s national signing day haul said the Toppers’ coaching staff knew which buttons to push to make them feel at home.

For players like Lafayette High School linebacker DeVon Quincy, that meant feeling like a person instead of just a number.

“All the coaches, they know all the recruits,” he said.

“Sometimes you go into these places, and you come with all these players, and they don’t really know who all the players are. The Western coaches knew everyone and are familiar with them.”

WKU coach Jeff Brohm said on signing day his staff’s philosophy is to identify players early and cultivate strong relationships.

That longstanding bond sold junior-college defensive end Omarius Bryant, who said the Tops gave him a chance before anyone else.

“I have a great relationship with (defensive coach Don Dunn),” Bryant said. “He’s very nice. He was the first coach I talked to after my recruiting process. He was very straightforward. I just kind of appreciate that. Coach Brohm, he’s straight-forward too, man. I love coach Brohm. I feel like he’s an all-around good coach. He gets the job done, and I can’t wait to play for him.”

The Hilltoppers have worked especially hard to plant early roots in Kentucky.

Some of those connections exist because of the coaches’ years of experience. WKU landed Graves County defensive end Heath Wiggins in part because secondary coach Mike Cassity recruited Wiggins’ father, John, to the Hill in the 1980s.

To find new targets, WKU hosts several satellite camps in the summer throughout the state.

Defensive coordinator Nick Holt said in a video released by the school on signing day that he found Quincy by spending a day coaching him at a camp in the Louisville area.

“We spend a lot of time doing that,” Brohm said. “With that, we’re able to get to know those guys very well. They get to come to our campus, we get to spend time with them, they come to our camps. We’re able to watch them play. We know their coaches very well. Those guys we research as much as any.”

Ellis promoted to running backs coach

Multiple sources confirmed to the Daily News on Sunday a report from Sports Illustrated’s Thayer Evans that the Hilltoppers will fill their vacant coaching responsibilities internally.

WKU offensive quality control coach Bryan Ellis has been elevated to running backs coach. He replaces Greg Nord, who was also special teams coordinator and left for a position at Florida.

Ellis became one of nine WKU coaches who were allowed to be on the road recruiting after Nord’s departure.

Ellis previously assisted offensive coordinator Tyson Helton with the development of the team’s quarterbacks. He spent 2013 in a similar capacity at his alma mater, UAB.

In 2010, Ellis had nine starts at quarterback for the Blazers with 2,940 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in 11 total games. After his playing career was done, he transitioned to a graduate assistant coaching role working with the quarterbacks.

WKU receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard will split special teams duties with Ricky Brumfield, the team’s cornerbacks coach and an assistant on special teams. Offensive graduate assistant Zach Lankford has been promoted to offensive quality control coach.

WKU coach Jeff Brohm told the Daily News last week that he didn’t have a timetable for coaching changes, but that he felt comfortable with the staff already in place.

“I’ve taken my time with it and talked to a lot of different people,” Brohm said. “I feel good about the direction I want to go. We’ll be just fine there. We’ve got some veteran guys on this staff and we’ve got some young guys who have done a great job, so I think we’ll be able to replace that position and they’ll do a very good job.”

— Follow Assistant Sports Editor Zach Greenwell on Twitter at twitter.com/zach_greenwell or visit bgdailynews.com.