How Long Do College Coaches Take To Respond?
One of the most important things to do if you want to be noticed by a college coach is to send them an introduction email. In that first email, start by introducing yourself, providing some athletic statistics and attaching your highlight video. College coaches are familiar with this format and will respond if they are interested in giving you a spot on their roster.
College coaches receive hundreds of emails every week during the recruiting season, so it can take them some time to respond to your email. Generally expect a response from a college coach about two weeks after sending your introduction email. If they respond within this timeline, you’re likely high on their priority list of recruits.
Of course, the more you contact a coach, the more likely they are to notice you. Sending follow up emails and making follow up phone calls can be the best strategy to get a coach’s attention even if they aren’t responding to your emails. There’s a fine line between being persistent and pushy, though. By being polite and respectful in your contact with a college coach, you can send the message that you are dedicated to both the sport you play and the program.
Why It Takes So Long For College Coaches To Respond
In this age of instant communication, it’s reasonable to be worried if you haven’t heard back from a coach in a couple of days. In reality, college coaches may be very interested in your skills and talents, but just haven’t had time to respond with their incredibly busy schedule. Besides being occupied, there are a few other reasons why it may take college coaches up to two weeks to reply.
On Holiday: Coaches take breaks, too. It will be harder to get in touch with college coaches during fall and spring break or the winter holiday season. Timing your emails and phone calls is essential to catching a coach at a good time for them. Even reaching out right after a break may not be the best move, either. College coaches will likely be wading through a backlog of emails and work that piled up over break, making responding to your email lower on their to-do list.
Test Scores: If you haven’t taken standardized tests like the ACT or SAT yet, you may not hear back from a college coach. Coaches want to make sure that you can pass school admissions requirements before they consider you a recruit for your program. You might be reaching out a bit early, so send a follow up after you receive those test scores to see if a coach is interested.
In-Season: During a college coach’s season, they are focused on coaching their current players and leading them in a successful season. You can send emails during the season, but don’t be surprised if you don’t hear back from the coach. Be sure to send a follow-up email after the season is over. It can help you stand out if you tell the coach that you watched some of their games and let them know what you liked about their coaching or team.
With all of these factors at play in a college coach’s schedule, it’s not uncommon not to hear back from a college coach for a couple of weeks. Based on your research, you should be contacting a wide range of schools to give yourself the best chance of receiving an athletic scholarship. If you don’t hear back from your stretch schools, then you’ll know it’s time to focus on schools that better match your skills and talents.
How Do You Know If A College Coach Is Interested In You
The faster a coach responds to you, the more they are interested in having you on their roster. But sometimes it’s not as clear if a college coach is interested in you. College coaches are busy, and so it can take them a while to respond. Here are some other ways to tell if a college coach is interested in offering you an athletic scholarship.
Your Skill Level: Something that’s important to keep in mind is your skill level and ranking. If you are one of the top-ranked athletes for your sport, then you can expect a reply from a coach very quickly, sometimes within minutes or hours. But for the majority of student-athletes, this is not the case. It will take more effort and patience to get a coach’s attention and assure them that you are a good fit for their program.
Personal Contact Info: If a college coach gives you their personal email or cell phone number, this is a great sign. They are giving you the go-ahead to contact them through these channels. Reach out with any questions or important updates about your athletic performance.
If you haven’t gotten a response from a college coach within two weeks, they are likely not serious about having you as a recruit at this time. Of course, the roster might shift in the future, and that coach may come calling later. But it’s best not to bet on the slim chance of that happening. Focus your time and energy on connecting with coaches who have responded to your emails and phone calls. These are the coaches who are more likely to offer you an athletic scholarship.
How Often Should You Email College Coaches
A critical factor in whether or not college coaches will respond to your email promptly is if it catches their attention. It helps to be strategic in contacting coaches to get eyeballs on your talent right away. Emailing coaches every day for weeks is not the best strategy. You have to strike a balance between dedicated and annoying. This can be tricky, but keeping a few things in mind can help you with your college coach contact strategy.
Start Strong: Start by contacting the college coach multiple times in the first week you reach out. After sending your introduction email, it’s acceptable to follow up with a phone call to the coach that same day. Within a few days, you can send a follow-up email if you haven’t heard back yet. Wait about a week, and then send a final email, referencing your previous attempts to get in touch with the coach and your desire to connect. Starting strong shows the coach your passion for playing for them, but leaves the ball in their court when it comes to responding.
Use A Catchy Subject Line: Just like you should start strong by reaching out to college coaches multiple times in the first week, you should write a great email to get a quick response from a college coach. The subject line is the first thing they will see while they scroll through their inbox. Avoid wasting their time by getting straight to the point—include your names and relevant statistics about your athletic and academic accomplishments. These statistics let college coaches know who you are and why they should care before they even open the email.
Personalize The Email: College coaches can tell when you’ve sent an email out to several coaches. Using generic language and or even copying multiple coaches on an email comes across as unprofessional and lazy. Personalize your email with information about how your skills will match the program or things you like about the program. Adding small details about the school or coach show that you’ve done your research and are very interested in playing for that school.
While reaching out to so many college coaches may seem like a waste of time, it’s the best way to see if you have a chance at getting an athletic scholarship. Beyond athletic recruiting, the process of reaching out to college coaches is similar to networking or finding a job after college. Learning how to strike a balance between confident and pushy will be important throughout your athletic and professional career.
Things To Keep In Mind
Division Differences: Division I and II schools have different restrictions when it comes to the recruiting process. College coaches for Division I and II schools are restricted in communicating with recruits. NCAA rules require Division I and II college coaches to wait until after September 1 of a recruit’s junior year to contact them. However, athletes can reach out to college coaches at any time without incurring an infraction. Sending emails early on can show your dedication to the school and program and help get you a quicker response once a coach can contact you.
Rely on High School Coaches: Your high school coach may be able to help you get recruited. Sometimes high school coaches have connections with college coaches. They can help you set up a call or pass along a message for you. Leveraging this connection can help you get a quicker response from a college coach.