Part of driving your own recruiting experience is actually contacting the head coach. Regardless of whether you get an initial response or not, they will see your email and take note of who you are. Sometimes, if you aren't being actively recruited by the coach or the process is in the early stages, you may hear back from the assistant coach instead.
You can contact coaches at any time, but they may not be able to reply to you until junior or senior year, depending on the division. Don't let this discourage you! Even if they don't respond, reaching out to them at least gets your name on their radar.
If you have the right contact information, you can contact the coach via the following platforms:
- Email
- Make sure to include some identifying information about yourself, stats, a highlight reel, graduation year, and why you are interested in this program specifically; check out this template to get started
- Call
- Know what you're going to say ahead of time and be prepared to leave a voicemail – coaches are busy!
- Text
- This should be a paraphrased version of what you send in an email; texting is also an easy way to stay in touch with coaches after you've made initial contact
- Social Media
- Contact coaches with your professional account and their professional account; if you don't have a professional account, see our tips on keeping your social media clean so you know how to maintain a professional appearance
Many coaches agree that email is still one of the best ways to contact them because it is the most professional, easiest to attach resumes, and leaves a paper trail, among other benefits.
“The best way would be through email, and that allows us to put them in a recruiting database to get information out to them about camps/clinics and give updates as the NCAA allows.” – Dartmouth Women's Soccer Coach, Ron Rainey
Related: Example Email to College Coaches
What Do You Say in an Email to Coaches?
You need to make sure you make a good first impression when you reach out to coaches. What you say is going to be important. You want to give enough information to express interest without overwhelming them.
An Email to Coaches Should Include
- Address the coach by writing, “Dear Coach (last name)”
- Introduce yourself
- Include your age and expected graduation year
- Tell where you are from and where you train
- Include years of experience
- Express interest in the particular school. Add a detail or two about their season or academics, but keep it short and sweet
- Highlight a major achievement you have had and link to your highlight reel, professional social media, or resume
- Thank them for their time
Do Not
- Don't have the email come from your parent's account
- Don't have your parent write the email for you
- Don't copy and paste the same email to every coach – coaches talk!
- Don't use any unprofessional or inappropriate words or phrases
Important Questions to Ask
Once you start correspondence with a coach, it's important to ask questions that cannot be answered through research. Make sure whatever questions you are asking cannot be easily found online.
These questions are worth asking once you develop a relationship with the coach:
- What do you expect from your athletes in terms of performance and overall character?
- What does a typical day look like for your athletes?
- How do the athletic schedule and academic schedule work together?
- What resources academically and athletically will be available to me?
- Where do I fit in on this team?
- What work do I need to do to start?
These are all difficult but important questions to ask a coach to get a better sense of how the team is run.
When to Bring Up Certain Topics
Some questions are more generic than others. Questions like where you fit in on the team and what you need to do to fit in are more personal and require a level of understanding between the coach and the recruit.
Because there is no official rulebook, it is important to remember some coaches may expect different types of questions. Based on the conversations you are having, you will need to judge the best time to ask certain questions.
The very first time you introduce yourself to a coach is probably not the best time to ask about the playing lineup. You can, however, ask what a coach would suggest you do to improve for the upcoming season.
How Often to Talk to a Coach
In the beginning, a coach may only be checking in with you every once in a while. But, as the recruiting season starts to pick-up, you can expect the coaches you have relationships with to check in with you more often.
Coaches that have expressed you are a recruit to them will likely leave you their personal contact information so they can answer questions for you as they come up. As the opportunity for official visits comes into play, coaches will start reaching out more and expect you to do the same.
After an official visit, it is important to reach out to that coach not long after to thank them and express your thoughts on the entire visit.
No Response? What Next
Don't stress if you aren't getting a response from a coach, especially if you are not yet a junior. This is because of the restrictions in place that don't allow a coach to communicate with you. If you don't get an initial response once you have hit junior year, it is a good idea to follow up with them again.
Coaches get flooded with emails from prospects that are interested in their school. There is a good chance they missed it. Following-up also shows extra initiative. The one thing you don't want to do is flood their email with updates every week. Give them a chance to consider your email and respond thoughtfully.
If enough time goes by where a coach has not responded to 5-7 forms of communication and it is within the NCAA timeline for them to respond to you, they might not be interested in you as a recruit. Here are some tips from coaches on what to do if you get turned down by your dream school.
* Originally published on November 19, 2021, by Brittany Collens
