What Happens During a Coaching Change in Recruiting?
February 3rd, 2010 - byOne of the harsh realities of the college recruiting process involves coaching changes. It happens every year. College coaches, who spent years convincing targeted recruits that they should join their program, change jobs…sometimes at the last minute.
Ideally this would never happen, but knowing that it always will, I sat down with Coach Taylor to get some inside advice for recruits.
CK: A coaching change can happen at many points during the recruiting process for a prospect. First, let’s start with the recruits who have already committed to a program when a coaching change occurs. What advice would you give recruits in that situation?
Coach Taylor: The committed prospect has a decision to make about the new staff. Can they fit in the new coach’s system? Is the school the reason for the commitment? Does the new staff want them?
The first thing a committed prospect must do is get on the phone with the new coach and/or visit the new coach if possible to open the line of communication. If the end result is that the prospect is going to look into other opportunities they must act immediately to find a new best fit. Depending on the timing of the coaching change it may be tough to find a new school if they have committed all their scholarships.
Be aware that other coaching staffs will already be calling to see if they can “flip the prospect” as is the common term used in war rooms and get them to decommit. At the same time the new staff will feel they can contact any committed player at other schools as they weren’t involved before and all bets are off.
Just know that anything can happen in this situation and the prospect must make contact with the new staff immediately to see where they stand!!
CK: What about recruits who have not committed but were being pursued or sought after by a coaching staff that experiences a change?
RT: Make contact with the new staff immediately by phone and/or email whichever will be quickest (it’s important to have relationships with others in the sport’s office to give the prospect a contact when coaches aren’t available even if there isn’t a coaching change). Most times a couple of the old staff will be kept on for transition sake… reach out to them.
If the new coaches take a while to get back to the prospect or reach out to the prospect themselves they may not be very high on their priority list. The first thing a new staff will do is solidify the situation with their top recruits!
CK: What advice would you give recruits as a former coach to limit the impact of a coaching change on their recruiting process?
RT: The main thing is choose the school, not the coach!
Also, don’t burn bridges with other coaching staffs, a prospect doesn’t need to be in contact with other coaches, especially if committed elsewhere but be respectful of other coaches in case communications need to be re-opened. The way things work out in coaching, who knows where the coach from a rival school will end up.
CK: Thanks Coach!
