How Do I Find College Coaches’ Emails?
During the recruiting process, it's a good idea to reach out to college coaches over email to introduce yourself and express interest in the school. But the first step is to find out how to contact college coaches. How do you find college coaches’ emails?
The best way to find a college coach’s email is to start with a quick Google search. Most coaches have a list of their athletic staff and their contact information on the team website. This can include their email and/or phone number. Head coaches at major Division I programs probably won’t have their email listed online to prevent their inbox being flooded with emails from potential recruits. If this is the case, you can email the director of recruiting or one of the assistant coaches to introduce yourself.
There are a couple of places on a school’s website where you can find coach emails. You can look at either the staff directory, which will provide a list of all the coaches and coaching staff and their contact information. But you can also look at the team roster. The coaching staff profiles will likely be listed under the players, where you can find the coach’s bio, job title and contact information.
Which Coach Should You Email?
Once you’ve found the athletic staff directory or the team roster, you’ll have to decide which coach to email. Emailing college coaches helps build recognition of your name and starts a conversation with a coach about how you would fit on their team. Many schools have an organized recruiting process that they expect potential recruits to follow, especially if it’s a major Division I program. So who is the best coach for you to email to get noticed by the team?
Director Of Recruiting: If you’re targeting a competitive Division I program, your best bet may be the director of recruiting. All potential recruits are filtered through the director of recruiting at some point during the recruiting process. Developing a rapport with the director of recruiting can help you move along in the school’s specific recruiting process. They can give you feedback about how your skills compare to current players and what you need to do to be a competitive recruit.
Director Of Operations: The director of operations has a similar position as the director of recruiting. They are often a communication link between players and coaches and may be able to connect to a coach if they can’t answer your questions. They can be a great person to email if you’re targeting a competitive Division I program and don’t have the head coach’s email.
Assistant Coach: For smaller programs, reach out to the assistant coach to introduce yourself and build a relationship with them. They influence the recruiting process, and especially at smaller schools, they might head up the recruiting process.
Head Coach: It can be intimidating to email the head coach of a program, especially if you have never communicated with them before. But emailing a head coach can signal to them that you have the confidence and time-management skills needed to be a college athlete. Writing a well-crafted, personalized email to a head coach can go a long way in proving your ability to play on their team.
Keep in mind that you aren’t limited to just emailing one coach. If you reach out to the head coach right away and don’t hear a response, you can contact an assistant coach or the director of recruiting to get more information. Sometimes, emailing both coaches can work in your favor by boosting your profile and getting your athletic potential seen by multiple coaches on the team.
How To Email A College Coach
If you’ve done your research to find the college coach’s email and decide who you’re going to contact, then you have to figure out what to say. Emailing a college coach is one of the best ways to explain to the coach why you’re interested in playing for them and make your case for why you belong on their team. You can follow the same general format to email multiple different coaches, but never send the same email out to various coaches. The key is to personalize your communication with coaches to get noticed.
Subject: Start with an attention-grabbing subject line that is straight to the point. Include your name, graduation year, GPA, athletic stats and position, so the coach knows what the email will be about right away. They will be more likely to open the email after seeing that you are both academically and athletically successful.
Introduction: The beginning of your email should be an extended version of your subject line. Introduce yourself and include the basics, especially your high school or club name, any relevant athletic statistics and standardized test scores.
Show Your Interest: Next, you want to tell the coach what caught your attention about their program. You may admire their coaching style or think that your skills closely match the team’s current players. Let the coach know what attracted you to the school so that they understand you’re committed to playing for them and not just keeping it as a backup option.
Make The Connection: an essential element of emailing any college coach is to personalize your communication. Address the coach by their name in the greeting, and reference something about their background that you have in common or found interesting. Making any personal connections can help a lot in building a relationship with the coach.
Takeaway: Finally, close out your email by giving the coach an action item. Link your highlight video and ask them to check it out or let them know where you’ll be playing next. You can also tell them you’ll be following up with a phone call to find out more about their recruiting process.
While you look for the coach’s email, it’s also an excellent opportunity to research the coach and their background. Knowing more about them can help you formulate a well-crafted email and even make a connection with your experience.
Other Ways To Contact College Coaches
If you can’t find a college coach’s email, and you still want to reach out to them, there are a few different ways you can contact a college coach.
Personal Connections: Your current high school or club coach can be a great resource in connecting you with a college coach. They often have connections with college coaches in the area or know coaches from former student-athletes. You can also ask your family and friends if they have any relationships with coaches that you can contact.
Phone Call: A phone call can be a great way to follow up with a coach if you’ve already sent an email or haven’t found their email on the school’s website. Coaches will often have their office number listed, which you can call to see if they’re available or leave a message letting them know you plan to call back later.
Maximize In-Person Interaction: Another thing to keep in mind as a potential recruit is making the most of an in-person introduction. If you see a coach at a tournament or showcase, you may be able to talk with them quickly about their recruiting process or how their season is going. Depending on your sport, the NCAA restricts coaches from communicating with student-athletes before June 15 of your sophomore year or September 1 of your junior year and during “dead periods”. But if you talk with the coach when the rules allow, it’s an excellent opportunity to make a good first impression.
College coaches have hectic schedules, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a response right away. If you consistently follow up with a coach, they will eventually get back to you if they think you’re a good fit for their team.
Things To Keep In Mind
Edit Your Emails: Be sure to edit all your emails to college coaches before sending them. You’ll want to verify that you have the correct email address, check for any spelling or grammar mistakes and that your message strikes the right tone.
Keep It Professional: Whenever you communicate with a college coach, keep your tone professional and respectful. They are recruiting hundreds of players at once, and their time is valuable. Acknowledging that by being polite and considerate can help you stand out from other recruits.
** What’s Important To The Coach:** Always think about the coach’s perspective when sending an email or making a phone call. Considering what the most critical part of your message is for them will help you formulate a concise email that grabs the coach’s attention.