How to follow up with a college coach and maintain communication

High school recruits and college coaches share a common goal: finding the right match. To do this, staying in touch throughout the recruiting process is crucial and student-athletes should take the lead. The best way to do that? Keep the lines of communication open by sharing consistent updates, asking questions and discovering common interests.

In the sections below, we’ll help you understand when and how to follow-up with a college coach to get an advantage in the recruiting process. Because it’s not just about skills; it’s also about building strong connections.

4 ways to maintain communication with college coaches

You’ve sent out your first email to a college coach and they’ve responded. Now, what’s the next step? How do you keep the conversation going? Follow along in the video above as NCSA recruiting experts Danny Koenig and Phill Wells break down four key steps to maintaining a strong line of communication with college coaches:

1. When you’re wrapping up your conversation, let the coach know when you’ll be reaching out next.
2. Ask the coach how often they prefer to receive recruiting updates.
3. Share your contact information and make sure you have theirs. You can also provide the contact details of your high school or club coach so they can stay in the loop.
4. End the conversation with a personal message to show your genuine interest.

how often should you check in with college coaches?

How often you reach out to college coaches depends on where you’re at in the recruiting process and the sports season. College coaches follow specific NCAA rules about when they can communicate with recruits. This makes regular check-ins more important during your junior and senior years when coaches can respond to you.

Keep in mind this schedule represents the minimum recommended contact. If you’re truly interested in a program or if a coach is showing interest in you as a potential recruit, don’t hesitate to reach out or engage in conversations between these times. Pay attention to how coaches react and respond to your messages, and it will help you find the right balance.

Tips for following up with a college coach

When following up with a college coach, keep these key points in mind:

1. Have a purpose: Try to avoid random calls or texts. Instead, plan your messages and provide information that can improve your chances of getting recruited. You can find some great ideas in our “20 Reasons to Update a Coach” section below.
2. Stay consistent: Maintain a steady pace in your communication with coaches. Keep track of it in a notepad or on your phone – whichever works best for you! Do the same for when coaches reach back out. This helps you identify the coach’s schedule and preferred method of communication.
3. Consider timing: Think about the coach’s schedule. Avoid overwhelming them with emails, calls or texts during their busiest times. Also, stick to regular business hours when reaching out to college coaches. Even if the coach sends a late-night text, unless it’s urgent, it’s best to reply in the morning.
4. Ask questions: Show that you’re interested and eager to learn by asking relevant questions in your follow-up messages. Coaches appreciate recruits who want to understand more about the recruiting process and get to know their team. It’s a great way to connect and find some shared interests!

Let’s hear from Mayah Soliszewska-Dengu, a 2023 D2 soccer commit. With the guidance of her NCSA recruiting coach, Mayah discovered valuable insights into effective follow-up strategies with college coaches, including what to say in her messages that helped her secure an offer to play college sports. You can gain some helpful tips from her story – check it out!

20 reasons to update a college coach:

1. You have a new highlight or skills video
2. You have new key stats that demonstrate how you’ve improved as an athlete 
3. You received new, higher SAT or ACT scores or want to update them on your grades, GPA or NCAA core course requirements
4. You want to let them know you’re attending their camp, and you’re looking forward to meeting them in person 
5. You want to know what additional information they need, like more video or a recent transcript, to evaluate you as a potential recruit 
6. You want advice on what camps or combines to attend, or what events they’ll be attending so they can watch you compete
7. You’re applying or just applied to their school
8. You want to congratulate them (or athletes on their roster) on a big win
9. You are coming to visit their school and want to know the best time to meet with them while you’re on campus
10. You (or they) received an honor or award, like all-league, all-region, all-state honors or academic recognition
11. You have received a scholarship offer (from another college)
12. You want to share your summer training, tournament or camp/combine schedule
13. You want to know where you rank in their recruiting class or what types of athletes they typically recruit
14. You want to know if they are going to offer you an official visit or scholarship
15. You’re following up with a thank-you call after a campus visit
16. You have a new reference you want the coach to contact, like a club or high-school coach
17. You’d like to set up a phone or video call to learn more about them, their program and their interest in you as a recruit
18. You established a new personal best, gained a new skill or beat a higher ranked opponent
19. You want their advice on how you can improve your athletic skills and techniques
20. You signed up for the NCAA or NAIA Eligibility Center, requested your NCAA amateurism certification or the NCAA Eligibility Center deemed you eligible to compete at their school

which communication method is best for follow up?

Throughout the recruiting process, you’ll use a combination of communication methods to stay in touch with college coaches like email, phone calls, texting and social media. We’ve compiled some tips to help you understand when and how to use each of these methods for effective follow-up communications.

1. Email: In follow-up communications, email is primarily used to exchange important recruiting updates, such as videos, transcripts, upcoming game schedules or scheduling college visits. Learn how to email college coaches.
2. Phone: Once you’ve had your initial phone call with a coach, don’t hesitate to follow up with occasional check-in calls. Just be prepared for an engaging conversation when you do and avoid giving short “yes” or “no” responses. Get prepared for coach phone calls.
3. Texting: Texting is a super easy way to stay connected! Use it for sending quick updates, following up on previous phone calls or emails. And hey, coaches really appreciate those good luck texts before big games or competitions! It shows you’re interested. Check out our texting tips for recruiting.
4. Social Media: Twitter, Instagram and TikTok are good relationship-building tools! You can share your recruiting journey in real-time with coaches on the platform. Plus, you can follow the coach’s feed to learn more about their likes and interests, giving you great future conversation starters! Leverage social media for recruiting success.

Example email and follow up letter to college coach

When it comes to writing follow up emails to college coaches, it’s important to think about why you’re reaching out and why the coach should care. Maybe they haven’t responded to your introductory email and you’d like to make a connection. Or perhaps you have a new highlight video or upcoming game/event schedule to share with them. Whatever the reason, how you approach writing your follow-up email will vary depending on the situation.

Below are two examples of how to write a follow up letter to a college coach:

Example: Follow up after an introductory email

If you’ve reached out to a college coach with an introductory email and haven’t heard back, send a follow-up email that reminds them of what you said in your first message.

What to include:

• Tell the coach that you’ve previously reached out
• Include key recruiting information like your name, location, graduation year and sport event/position(s)
• Give the coach an action item, creating urgency
• Don’t forget to include your highlight video and NCSA Recruiting Profile link.

Why does this follow-up email work?

This follow-up email works because the athlete mentions it’s their second attempt, adding urgency. They keep it concise, refer to the initial email and ask the coach to check their video for feedback during a phone call. Additionally, it includes their highlight video and NCSA Recruiting Profile link for easy access.

Example: Sending a recruiting update

If you’re sending a coach a significant athletic or academic update, you’ve probably already established a connection and are actively being recruited! Your focus for this email should be to build that relationship by letting them know you are still interested and passionate about their school.

What to include:

• Be clear on why you’re sending the update
• Give the coach an action item, so they’re more likely to respond back
• Keep it short, friendly and professional

Why does this recruiting update email work?

This update email works because the athlete was clear and engaging, explaining the purpose of the update and importance to the coach. They also included an action item, attached the necessary document and provided an NCSA Recruiting Profile link for easy access.

Read more about the different types of college recruiting letters.

Recap: keeping up with coach communication

In college sports recruiting, communication is essential. Whether it’s through email, phone calls, texting or social media, knowing when and how to follow up with college coaches can give you an edge.
Maintaining regular communication with college coaches can help you build strong relationships. So, stay engaged, be respectful and keep at it. You’ll be well on your way to improving your chances of finding the right fit.

NCSA has the expertise and experience to guide you in your college coach communications. We’ve been in your shoes and can help you prepare for every stage of the process. So whether you need to reach out to a coach for the first time or learn how to follow up and keep the conversation going, we can help. Create a free profile today!