Schools add/build programs for different reasons, and these reasons impact how they support those programs.
Maybe students have indicated a waning interest in what used to be a strong program and they want to offer an alternative. (For example, the news about football and head injuries over thhe last decade + has diminished interest overall, and schools may want to offer other options.) These programs may initially care less about ranking and more about providing a good experience for participants, especially those new to the sport. In that case, while a coach could be excited to have you as an experienced player and tell admissions that you’d be a great addition to the program, it’ll probably just be a thumb on the scale.
Maybe the school wants to be more competitive at a sport. This can come from alumni interest and funding (including new facilities), a new coach, losing applicants to other schools with better programs, etc. In that case, a coach’s interest in impact players could advance an applicant to the front of the line.
You may have gotten the flavor in talking with the coach. I know from @SevenDad , one of the fencing gurus here (kids now graduated), that the top fencers all train outside school. If you’re hoping for college recruitment, what’s more important is access to that level coaching, which is more about logistics and accommodation by the school of the schedule to practice and compete. It doesn’t sound like that’s what you’re pursuing.