How to Contact College Coaches During the Recruiting Process

Colin McAtee

Written by Colin McAtee

August 2, 2022

It's no secret that college coaches are always on the lookout for talented athletes. For many aspiring student-athletes, getting noticed by a coach can be the key to achieving their goals of playing in college. One way to get noticed is to contact college coaches. But how exactly do you get in touch with them? Here is a guide to help you get started.

Contacting college coaches on ProductiveRecruit

What is the process for contacting college coaches as a student-athlete?

When contacting a college coach, it is important to follow a specific process to ensure that your message is received and read. Want to learn how to contact college coaches? Here is the process that you should follow:

  1. Find the contact information for the college coaches you want to contact.

  2. Email, DM, or write the coaches a letter to introduce yourself. You should also fill out the recruiting questionnaire.

  3. Follow up with the coaches if they do not respond within a few days. Make a phone call to be proactive and talk to them directly.

  4. If the coaches are interested in you, they will contact you directly.

  5. Start contacting coaches as early as possible, especially if you are looking for scholarships.

  6. Once you have been contacted by a college coach, it is important to maintain communication with them and stay organized.

How to find college coaches' contact information

If you want to contact a coach, it is important to have their contact information. You can find this information on their website, via a google search, or by using a college recruiting tool like ProductiveRecruit.

When looking for contact information, be sure to note the following:

  • The email address of the coach
  • The phone number of the coach
  • The Twitter handles of the coach

If you want help getting coaches' contact information more quickly, you can use ProductiveRecruit. ProductiveRecruit provides the email address, phone numbers, and Twitter handles of every college coach and program (see image below).

Coach contact information on ProductiveRecruit

What to include in your email, DM, or letter to a college coach

When you reach out to a college coach, be sure to include the following information:

  • An engaging subject line (if you're sending an email)
  • Your name
  • Your age
  • Your GPA
  • Your test scores (SAT, ACT, etc.) if you have them
  • Your position(s)
  • Your graduation year

You should also include any information about yourself that may be of interest to the coach, such as your athletic achievements or awards. It is also helpful to attach your online recruiting profile, resume and/or highlight video to your correspondence. Check out the below example of a high-quality email to a college coach. If you want more guidance on this topic, check out our guide on how to email college coaches.

Example email to a college coach

Why you should contact coaches directly

When you contact coaches, it is important to be proactive and reach out to them directly. Here are three reasons why you should contact college coaches directly during the college recruiting process:

  1. You have a better chance of getting their attention.

  2. Coaches appreciate when athletes take the initiative to reach out to them.

  3. It shows that you are serious about playing at the next level.

By reaching out to college coaches directly, you are putting yourself in a better position to get noticed. Coaches respect athletes who are proactive and take the initiative to reach out to them. And most importantly, it demonstrates that you are serious about playing at the next level and are willing to take the necessary steps to make that happen.

Should I use a recruiting service to contact a coach?

Many student-athletes think they need to use a recruiting service to get discovered. However, Most coaches hate receiving mass messages from recruiting services like NCSA. These services often send out thousands of messages to college coaches on behalf of athletes, which clogs up their inboxes and makes it difficult for them to find the messages that are truly important. When you contact a coach directly, you are ensuring that your message stands out and is more likely to be read.

While most coaches don't like recruiting services, you can utilize a tool like ProductiveRecruit to reach out to contact a coach directly. ProductiveRecruit doesn't send mass messages or even allow you to send them, forcing you to write a personal email showing that you are genuinely interested in the program.

Should I contact the head coach or the entire coaching staff?

You should contact every coach, including each assistant coach. This will allow you to get to know all of the coaches and see if they are a good fit for you.

Additionally, when you contact the entire staff, they will be able to get to know you better and see what your strengths are. Coaches appreciate when student-athletes take the initiative to reach out to them. And by contacting all of the coaches, you are increasing your chances of getting noticed.

Head and assistant michigan soccer coaches on ProductiveRecruit

Why college coaches love phone calls

It's no secret that coaches love phone calls. Many coaches prefer phone calls over other forms of communication. Here are three reasons why phone calls are one of the best ways to contact coaches:

1. Coaches can get to know you better.

When you call a coach, they have a chance to hear your voice and get to know you better. This is important because it allows them to see if you would be a good fit for their program.

2. Coaches can ask questions.

Coaches often have questions for athletes that they cannot ask in an email or social media message. By talking on the phone, coaches can ask you any questions they may have about your playing style, academics, and more.

3. It shows that you are serious about playing at the next level.

Phone calls demonstrate that you are serious about playing at the next level and are willing to take the necessary steps to make that happen. Coaches appreciate when student-athletes take the time to call them and discuss their playing careers with them.

Should I text college coaches?

Texting a coach is a great way to get their attention and start a dialogue. However, you should only text a coach if you have their cell phone number and a prior relationship with them.

Why you should text college coaches

Texting is a great way to reach out to coaches because it is direct and allows for immediate communication. When you text a coach, they can respond immediately, which can help build a rapport with them.

Additionally, texting allows you to form a more personal relationship with coaches. By texting with a coach, you can get to know them on a more personal level and learn more about their program.

Finally, texting is a great way to stay in touch with coaches. By sending them periodic updates about your season or recruiting process, you are keeping yourself top of mind with the coach.

Should I send college coaches a letter?

Sending a letter to a coach is an old-fashioned but still effective way to get their attention. When writing a letter, be sure to include the same information that you would include in an email or social media message. You should also attach your resume with links to your online profile and skills video.

Although email and social media are the most common ways to contact college coaches, recruiting letters can be more effective in some cases. If you are interested in a school that is far away, it may be a good idea to send them a letter in addition to emailing them. Coaches may also appreciate receiving letters from talented student-athletes who live close by.

So, should you send coaches a letter? The answer is yes, but only if you have something valuable to add to your communication that you cannot communicate through other means.

When do I follow up with college coaches?

If the coaches don't respond within a few days, be sure to follow up with them. You can do this by sending another email, messaging them on social media, or calling them. It's important to be patient and give them enough time to review your information. However, if they still don't respond, it may be best to move on to other schools. Note that there may be reasons a coach cannot respond due to NCAA rules or other recruiting regulations.

How do I know if college coaches are interested in me?

If the college coaches are interested in you, they will contact you directly. This may be in the form of an email, a phone call, or a direct message. Be sure to stay organized and keep track of all the colleges you are interested in. You can easily keep track of all the colleges you're interested in with ProductiveRecruit. With our college favorite tool, you can keep log notes on phone calls, manage tasks, keep track of scholarship offers, and email college coaches. Think of it like your own recruiting CRM.

Favorite colleges tool on ProductiveRecruit

When should you start contacting college coaches?

It is important to start contacting coaches as early as possible, especially if you are looking for scholarships. The majority of college coaches start recruiting athletes during their sophomore year of high school. This gives you enough time to build a relationship with the coach and increases your chances of being accepted to the school.

Why you should start contacting coaches early in the process

There are a few reasons why it's important to start contacting coaches early in the process.

First, starting early gives you plenty of time to build a relationship with the coach. Coaches appreciate when athletes take the time to get to know them and their program. By establishing a relationship with the coach, you are showing them that you are serious about playing for their school.

Second, starting early allows you to gather information about the coach and their program. When you talk to the coach, they can give you more information about their program and answer any questions you may have. This is a great opportunity for you to learn more about the school and whether it is the right fit for you.

Finally, starting early increases your chances of being accepted to the school. College coaches often have limited spots available on their team, so it's important to get your name out there as early as possible if you want a scholarship offer.

By starting early in the recruiting process, you are putting yourself in a better position to achieve your goals of playing college sports.

What happens after you contact a college coach?

After you have contacted a college coach, it is important to maintain communication with them and stay organized. If a coach is interested in you, they will invite you to their campus for an official visit or they may ask you to come to one of their games.

Keep track of all the colleges you are interested in and keep your resume and highlight video up-to-date. You can easily keep track of all the college programs you're interested in with ProductiveRecruit's college favorite tool.

Conclusion: How to contact college coaches during the college recruiting process

If you're an aspiring student-athlete, getting noticed by a college coach is the key to achieving your goals. In this article, we've outlined a guide on how to contact college coaches effectively and answered some common questions.

Now that you know how to contact coaches and what to include in your correspondence, it's time to get started. Remember to be patient and reach back out to coaches if they don't respond right away. And most importantly, stay organized! Using ProductiveRecruit can help make the recruiting process a lot easier. Good luck on your journey to becoming a collegiate athlete!

About ProductiveRecruit

ProductiveRecruit is the perfect tool for aspiring student-athletes who want to play college sports. This online tool makes it easy to keep track of all the colleges you're interested in, and allows you to contact  (over 80,000 different) coaches directly. ProductiveRecruit also helps you stay organized and keeps track of all your recruiting tasks. We have products for athletes, individual teams, clubs, high schools, and recruiting services. Get started at productiverecruit.com.

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