What Does It Mean When A College Coach Wants To Call You?
Getting a call from a college coach can be a nerve-wracking experience. You may have been in contact with a coach for some time, or you might not have even talked with them before. But what does it mean when a college coach wants to call you?
When a college coach wants to call you, they are likely seriously interested in recruiting you. It’s an even better sign if they call you multiple times. Coaches use phone calls to get to know you and ask questions about your academics and athletics. A phone call is one tool for a coach to tell if you would be a good fit for their team.
Often, a college coach will already be emailing you or have watched you play in-person before they decide to call you. It’s essential to reach out to college coaches on your own to get noticed and show interest in the school. Introducing yourself to coaches is the first step to piquing their interest enough to call you and talk. A phone call is a more casual way for a coach to speak with you and get a sense of your personality. It also saves coaches time because they can ask questions and get answers much faster than sending an email and waiting for a response.
Signs A College Coach Is Seriously Interested In You
Getting a phone call from a coach is one way for a coach to show that they’re interested in recruiting you. College coaches might also call your current high school or club coach to ask them some questions about your playing schedule. This type of call isn’t necessarily a sign of serious interest, but the coach is assessing your skills. There are a few other signs that a coach might be seriously interested in you.
Personalized Letters Or Emails: If you receive a personal or handwritten letter to your house, you can bet the coach wants you on their team. Coaches start with a broad pool of recruits and narrow their list down to a handful of players. The more personalized the contact, the more likely the coach is interested in you. If a coach gives you their contact information and asks you to call them or contact them, that’s a sure sign that they’re recruiting you.
Receiving Texts Or Social Media DM’s: Coaches may also text you or message you on social media. This isn’t as strong of a sign that a coach is recruiting you as getting a phone call, but it’s still a good sign. Be sure to respond to coaches if they text or DM you. Be professional and courteous, even when having a more casual conversation over social media.
Invite To An Official Visit: Getting an invite from a coach on an official visit is one of the most reliable signs that a coach is recruiting you. Official visits are paid for and planned by the school, and they are investing in recruits that come on official visits. It’s common for coaches to make offers on an official visit as well.
Even if you haven’t gotten an invite for an official visit yet, merely getting the contact information from a coach is a good sign. Coaches don’t give out their contact information to student-athletes very often to avoid being bombarded by calls from recruits. If they give you their personal number, they’re taking you seriously and want to send a message that they want to get to know you better.
How To Talk To A College Coach On The Phone
Many student-athletes find talking to coaches on the phone to be intimidating, especially if they haven’t spoken with them before. Knowing what coaches are looking for can help take some stress out of talking with a college coach on the phone. There are a few things you should keep in mind, no matter what you’re talking about with a college coach.
Introduce Yourself: Make sure to introduce yourself right away if you haven’t spoken to the coach before. Share your name, position, graduation year and any relevant athletic or academic information. If you have met before, give the coach a quick update on your season to jog their memory. Before getting off the call, make sure the coach has all your contact information.
Prepare Before: Before talking to a coach on the phone, prepare for some common questions that most college coaches ask. For example, coaches will want to know why you think you would be a good fit for the team, what other schools you’re considering and what major you’re considering. It will help if you also prepare some questions of your own to ask the coach. Some good questions to ask might be about the coach’s coaching style, how the coach evaluates student-athletes and what the team dynamic is like. Preparing ahead of time will help you remain composed and calm during the call.
Find A Quiet Place: When you take a phone call from a coach, find a quiet and calm place where you can focus on answering the coach’s questions. You can fill your parents in on the conversation after if you think them being around might be distracting.
Why You’re Interested In The School: Hopefully, you will have a natural opportunity to explain what attracted you to the school. Coaches want to know why you want to play on their team and why you think you would be a good fit for their program. If you can make a personal connection to the school, like knowing a current player or having a similar background to the coach, that can help the coach remember you.
Don’t wait for a college coach to call you out of nowhere. College coaches are recruiting hundreds of players, so it’s unlikely they reach out to you on their own unless you are playing at an elite level. If you’re targeting Division II or III programs, it’s good to be proactive and reach out to colleges that you’re interested in.
Types Of College Coaches
You likely won’t be talking with the head coach of the program right away. Most teams have coaches that head up recruiting to help reduce some of the work that head coaches are responsible for. Most recruits talk with an assistant coach or the director of recruiting before they speak to a head coach. When reaching out for the first time, it can be in your best interest to reach out to multiple coaches.
Head Coach: At smaller programs, you will probably speak with the head coach more often and sooner than if you’re targeting more competitive divisions. It’s great to get to know the head coach as well as you can before you commit to a program because your relationship with the coach can change your college experience.
Assistant Coach: The assistant coach at a program is often an excellent coach to start contacting. At smaller programs, they will usually lead recruiting efforts. Emailing or calling an assistant coach can give you insight into how the head coach evaluates recruits.
Recruiting Director: At high-level Division I programs, all recruits are funneled through the director of recruiting or director of operations before you talk with the head coach. The director of recruiting can also help you prepare for more in-depth conversations with the head coach by giving you tips about how the recruiting process goes typically.
Be sure to stay professional no matter what coach you’re talking to. Many assistant coaches and recruiting coaches can pass on your information or make a recommendation to the head coach, which can go a long way in your recruiting journey.
Things To Keep In Mind
Parents: Many parents wonder if they should call coaches for their student-athletes to lighten the load on their busy schedules. However, most college coaches prefer to talk with the student-athletes themselves, as that’s who will be playing on their team. Coaches want to recruit players who have the confidence and time management skills to talk directly with them.
NCAA Regulations: The NCAA regulates Division I and II college coach contact with student-athletes during specific periods. College coaches can’t call recruits before June 15 of their sophomore year or September 1 of their junior year. There are also dead periods during the year when coaches cannot contact student-athletes.