How To Be "Recruitable" & Get Offers
Five D3 Coaches share advice after recruiting the Class of 2024
We got into the minds of D3 Coaches to bring you their collective advice from recruiting the Class of 2024. There are 5 Total Examples:
What impressed them ✅
What to avoid ❌
Plus our two cents for good measure 🤷♂️
High-Academic D3 Head Coach 🏀
✅ “Things that recruits did that impressed me:
In terms of playing, playing hard and being a good teammate. A kid’s talent will be evident when we see them, but if [they are] a talented player but a bad teammate, we won’t recruit them
Showing enthusiasm in the recruiting process. Being proactive, getting back quickly, getting tasks done when we ask, setting up visits easily….are all things that make us want a kid more
❌ Things for future recruits to avoid:
Get back to us in a timely manner. If you don’t respond regularly we will assume you aren’t interested and move on
Don’t talk bad about your teammates or coaches. If you are talking bad about your team in HS, you well mostly likely be hard to coach in college
Stick to timelines. We are big on working with recruits and setting up timelines that work for both us. If the kid doesn’t stick with the timeline, we are more likely than not to move off the kid.”
Our Two Cents 👇
Be proactive in your process.
Coaches are busy (and human). Things come up, they miss emails, and most D3’s don’t have large budgets to begin with. If you are not proactive, they “will assume you aren’t interested and move on.”
So leave no doubt, and make yourself a no-brainer to recruit by treating people the right way and taking care of work in the classroom.
Top 25 D3 Head Coach 🏀
✅ “We were impressed most by players who continually competed and showed growth over the course of an AAU spring thru the course of their Senior High School season.”
“They should aim to complete the pre read or different admissions requirements as soon as they can. Even the players hoping for D1.”
❌ “If you don’t submit your admissions materials before the deadlines we can’t do anything for you late when it comes down to the wire.”
Our Two Cents 👇
Research each school’s requirements.
The last point has been a common refrain amongst coaches we’ve talked to lately. Kids are talented and could likely make the team, but did not get their academic materials in on time.
For future classes of recruits, START EARLY and make a calendar with application deadlines so you do not miss out on opportunities.
Top 25 D3 Head Coach 🏀
“Different for every school I think but for us it’s important to find what you are looking for early. We pretty much had our entire class done before Christmas. We are having a ton of people reach out now but we don’t have any spots.
In basketball, playing out your high school season rarely results in any more offers. All of the evaluating is done during the Spring/Summer and the recruitment that you get from that are the people that really want you.”