About how long does it take for a coach to reply?

Jumper101 · 10-26-2009, 07:24 PM

Generally, how long does it take for a college coach from a D1 school to reply to an email you sent? Is it normal to wait for a couple of weeks for a reply?

I sent some emails a while ago to a couple of coaches and some have replied right away and some still haven't. For the ones that haven't replied, are they just not interested in me?

OldbatesieDoc · 10-26-2009, 07:47 PM

Right. I'd say 1 week. If it is really something you want, send another e-mail- "Haven't heard and oh-so-interested" Some coaches aren't going to look at you until you have standardized test scores, because if you don't hit the school's threshhold, they don't want you.

hidingout · 10-26-2009, 07:58 PM

How long it takes a coach to reply depends on how good you are at your sport. If the top ranked swimmer in the nation calls a coach, they can expect a call/email back within minutes. And it goes down from there. Scheduling and how the coach's office is run can also be a factor. Contact them again if you like the school. Sometimes a coach isn't interested at first but becomes interested later due to factors completely out of your control (like another recruit turning them down, getting injured, etc.).

MaineLonghorn · 10-26-2009, 08:05 PM

My son has contacted a slew of coaches. Some repond within an hour or two. Others within a week or so. Others not at all! So he called one of them, a DI school, and the coach was very interested and are paying for him to visit next month! Go figure.

One DIII coach told us he gets almost 800 e-mails from runners each fall! And that was a very small school, under 2,000 students.

zeinX · 10-26-2009, 08:05 PM

If you're really interested in the schools that haven't emailed you back, it can't hurt to send another email or even track down an office number and call, leaving a message with your contact info. if the coach doesn't pick up.

Trying several times will show the coach that you are interested in his/her program, which can be very good for you, since coaches typically want athletes who WANT to be there.

Jumper101 · 10-26-2009, 09:49 PM

I've compared my stats to those of the athletes on their team and looked at their school records as well (I do track). With what I have right now, my PR would make it into the top 10 school records for a couple of colleges I emailed. But ironically, those are the schools that haven't replied. What is going on?

FauxNom · 10-26-2009, 10:10 PM

You're a junior. Do you have solid stats to give them right now, such as SAT or ACT? that could make a difference. These colleges are probably pretty busy trying to finalize next year's freshman class, so you might have to wait a bit.

OldbatesieDoc · 10-26-2009, 10:19 PM

I agree with faux nom. My son didn't get much buzz til he sent his first SATs with his sports info. This was in spring of his Junior year, so you may be a bit ahead of the curve.Don't give up, re-post them if you are planning on a visit, or try again after New Years.

keylyme · 10-26-2009, 10:58 PM

I don't really think it depends on how good you are. My daughter contacted over 40 coaches for her sport (gymnastics) - every single one of them got back to her (even if the answer was that she would not be able to be on their team). I think it depends when you write....is it during the current season? If so, the coaches might be out straight with their team.

10scholar · 10-26-2009, 11:09 PM

I agree that it helps to have stats that help, and it is pretty early.
That being said, in my experience the majority of coaches are on top of this stuff and get e-mails almost all the time. Whether they get back to you or not is another question. When I sent out an e-mail to around 25 coaches to start my recruiting process, I heard back from half of them within the first day. About another 8 or so within the next week or two. One of them ended up getting back to me months later (I think it was Caltech and they obviously don't recruit too much ha ha) but a few I didn't hear from at all. Some of these were schools that were above my level of play and I just let that go. But two of them were at the top of my list, so I sent them a follow-up e-mail and then gave them a call and left a voicemail giving my contact info and saying I was very interested, etc. A guy who owns a company that works to get scholarships for players and also gives seminars at tournaments emphasizes that the follow-up call is really important, fwiw.
Anyway, there are many coaches who I had multiple e-mail contacts with in one day. Many have their blackberries and are checking it constantly/sending out replies. I'm sure almost everybody saw my e-mail, but not everybody will reply.

A little funny story about e-mail timing. I'd had some contact with one coach at a school very high on my list and with a very good team. After the last tournament of the summer, I sent everybody I was still interested in an e-mail and gave them a call. This coach was one of those blackberry coaches and I didn't hear from him for a number of weeks. I'd just assumed he wasn't interested. Instead, about three weeks later, he sent back a reply saying I'd made his final cut and offered an official visit. After that, every e-mail was responded to within an hour or two.... Obviously he was waiting to find out from players higher on his list, so he didn't want to let me know, but I still found the change of pace funny...

pacheight · 10-27-2009, 12:14 AM

from my view of d's and her team mates good was everything. d was contacted by coaches starting early junior year. she never sent out emails. other top team mates had same. the average athletes are still trying to get college coaches attention their senior year

keylyme · 10-27-2009, 08:15 AM

^^My daughter was an elite, national level athlete, and in her sport, you still contact coaches. Son plays for the top program in a nationally ranked club. He himself has been to nationals twice with his team and is now on the US Development Academy. Players absolutely have to contact coaches in his sport. Must depend on the sport.

TheGFG · 10-27-2009, 08:17 AM

Our experience was varied too. Interestingly, I think that in every case but one it was the schools where D's times or academics would have been at the very top of their team who didn't respond, even when she showed enough interest in the school to try to schedule an unofficial campus visit and meeting with the coach. Maybe they assumed she'd never go there? One was really slow to respond and still is, but offered her an official visit. And one of the coaches who was most reserved initially is now calling every week and trying to close in for the kill, so to speak. It's too early to assume anything from this. I totally agree with the advice above that you should be persistent and keep contacting them if you're really interested. You're a track kid, so that makes it easy for you to have something concrete to say to them when you write or call. My D is a runner, so during the winter and spring of junior year she would occasionally send out an e-mail to let the coach know about a new PR or a significant win. After her best meet ever, she sent a link to a news article about her. That got attention.

Jumper101 · 10-27-2009, 07:29 PM

One of the coaches replied back to me and only said: Thanks for your e-mail. I will send you some information.
Is that some kind of kiss-off letter? So i'm guessing my chances of being recruited there is very, very slim?

riverrunner · 10-27-2009, 07:46 PM

Jumper, it may be that the schools you are contacting are waiting to see if you commit to a school in the first round of ED. If you're still available for recruiting after that, there is definitely a second round that starts up soon after the dust settles from the Nov 1 -15th deadlines. I think some 2nd tier DI (athletics, not academics), DII, DIII and NAIA coaches don't want to knock themselves out chasing strong recruits they perceive as planning to go early for a strong DI or DIII program. If you really love a school and program, let the coach know about it. It's a win-win if they love you too!