Ask The Experts
Spring Signing Week '16: Talking With Coaches Roundtable Part II
by Blair Henley, 15 April 2016
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NCAA rules dictate when coaches can make initial contact with potential student-athletes, but the rest is up to junior players and their parents. Last month, we asked our panel of coaches to help shed some light on this grey area of the recruiting process. Check out the rest of their answers to the following communication-themed questions:
Q) When is the best time for a player to make initial contact with you? Is it normal for the frequency of your communication with recruits to change during the busy dual match season? When you move in a different direction, is that indicated directly? Or is a dip in communication a good tipoff? Finally, when are offers most likely extended?
Michael Center, head coach, Texas Men
I think it is ideal to contact the coach by the beginning of the sophomore year of high school. We try to continue to communicate consistently during the season, but sometimes it can drop off due to our schedule. We also like to communicate if something is not going to work, and appreciate that the student-athlete feels the same. The more communication and truth on the topic, the better it is for both sides. We will typically offer toward the latter part of the junior year to the beginning of the senior year. Each situation can vary, so it is hard to choose an exact time when we extend offers.
Adam Herendeen, head coach, Furman Women
I always suggest that our recruits start looking for schools early and often. Far too many players believe they are going to make a huge jump later in high school. They begin the search process too late and do not know what they are looking for. These delays often result in players missing out on opportunities that would have been good fits for them. We suggest players visit a couple of campuses during their sophomore year so that they can see what is out there - and try to meet a couple of coaches. I would then recommend that they begin to communicate with coaches and take unofficial visits after September 1 of their junior year. This is something that is easy to do when traveling to tournaments, and it does not take much time at all to get a feel for the school.
During the season, we try to stay in contact with our top recruits just as much as we do during the off-season. This may not always happen perfectly, but we do make an effort to actively communicate with them on a regular basis. The biggest difference about the spring season is that we are just not able to make it to as many junior tournaments, so most communication is via email and phone.
