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College coaches have had to alter their recruiting approach during the coronavirus pandemic. They can’t host prospects for on-campus visits or go watch them play matches at tournaments.

Instead, they are relying on phone calls, video conferencing and social media to stay connected with recruits. They are giving virtual tours of their campus, analyzing previous results and comparing rankings on recruiting sites.

The recruiting restrictions are in place until at least May 31st for NCAA Division I and II coaches. On Wednesday, the Division I Council Coordination Committee announced it would decide at its May 13 meeting whether to extend the dead period through June 30.

The committee also signed off on waiving some recruiting rules to provide more flexibility for coaches and athletes through the dead period. For example, any school staff member may participate on a recruiting call between a countable coach and recruit. The committee also lifted the restriction on the number of uncommitted prospective student-athletes and their family members who may participate in a recruiting call, and are allowing current student-athletes to now participate in recruiting calls with coaches.

Coaches are still waiting to see if major national junior tournaments will be played during the summer to be able to recruit and scout in person. Although they may be in a holding pattern, coaches can’t stop recruiting or else their programs will fall behind.

A group of coaches from around the country explain how they have adapted their recruiting strategies since the shutdown began: