Coach Khan enters his 16th year as the head coach of the Men's and Women's Squash programs at Colby College. With over 35 years of squash experience, Khan has won numerous coaching awards such as the NESCAC Coach of the Year for both the women and men's squash teams as well as the Chaffee Award, which is a national award that is awarded to one coach each year, it is based on good sportsmanship.

When should an athlete contact you, and what is the best way? (age, grade, time of year, email, phone or other)

Spring of their junior year in high school.

What is the most important quality you look for in a recruit?

Skill level then team compatibility.

What advice would you offer a recruit who is looking to play Colby Squash?

Keep your grades up. Do well on the SAT/ACT tests. Stay high on your school ladder and have a personal winning season.

What are the do's and don'ts when being recruited?

Don't: Tell me Colby is not high on your list. Don't tell me you'd play low on the ladder. Don't tell me you did not do well on the SAT/ACT test but your high school grades were solid.

Do: Tell me where you'd play on our ladder. Do tell me you have a friend on the team. Do tell me you're interested in applying Early Decision.

What type of events do you recruit at? 

Campus visits or coach recommendations.

Where do you look for recruits?

High school coaches and rankings.

What really jumps out at you when reviewing a recruit's highlight tape?

Skill level.

What are the main do's and don'ts for a recruit's highlight tape?

Do: Identify yourself in the tape.  

Don't: Send a tape with the recruit doing mundane drills. We need actual competition.

When do you recommend recruits put together and share their highlight reels? Is it best to make their highlight reel during offseason, in the middle of season, or after each game?

Before the application deadline where we have a chance to rank the recruit versus other recruits.

What advice do you have for recruits that get turned down by their dream schools? What are their options if they don't gain the recruiting attention they desire?

Shoot high in Early Decision round one. Use Early Decision Two for the real deal.  Regular decision process should not be part of the plan.

 How big a factor is social media when recruiting players? What advice do you have for athletes regarding social media?

It's a good way to investigate the schools rather than the recruits as a tool.

Photo courtesy of: mtbello.com

* Originally published on January 31, 2017, by LRT Staff