How to Respond to a College Coach Email

Co-authored by Tami Claytor and Nihal Shetty

Last Updated: February 7, 2022 References

If you’re getting contacted by college coaches, your hard work as a talented high school athlete is starting to pay off. College coaches begin reaching out to students after their sophomore year. When a coach reaches out to you, this is their way of getting to know you better, so that both you and they can figure out if you’d be a good fit for their program. If you’re wondering how to respond to a college coach e-mail, we’ve got you covered. We’ll walk you through what to do before you respond, what to say in your message, and provide sample emails for if you're interested as well as if you're not.

Section 1 of 4:

Before You Respond

1
Research the school. To decide whether you’re interested in joining a team, you’ll first have to decide whether you’re interested in the school. If you’ve gotten a chance to visit the campus, this can help you make your decision. But if not, use the following list to see how the school stacks up with the place where you imagine yourself spending your college years:^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Size: Do you see yourself on a big, active campus with tens of thousands of other students, or is a smaller campus where everyone knows each other more your style?
- Location: Are you a city person, or looking for more of a cozy college town atmosphere? How far from home are you okay with living?
- Majors and classes: What major would you want to study? Does the school have a good reputation in this field?
2
Research the team. Watch videos online of the team in action—does the thought of joining them excite you? It is also a good idea to check out the current team roster to see how your stats match up to the current lineup, as well as how many seniors are graduating the year you leave high school. That way, you’ll have an idea of how you might fit into the team.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Taking a look at interviews with the current coach, whether through video or articles, can be a great way to get a sense of the team’s coaching philosophy.
Advertisement
3
Decide if you're interested in the team and program or not. If the school and team excite you, that’s great! You’ll want to let the coach know as soon as possible that you’re interested in talking to them more. If you don’t think that the team is a good fit for you, that’s okay too. In that case, you might want to tell the coach that you’re looking at other options instead.
- A response saying you’re interested isn’t a commitment. If you aren’t sure about whether the school is right for you, that’s okay. Responding to a coach’s e-mail saying you’re interested doesn’t mean you’ll be forced to join them. Think of this initial e-mail from the coach as a low-stakes way for you and the coach to get to know each other better.

Section 2 of 4:

Responding to a College Coach When You’re Interested

1
Start by thanking the coach for their interest. If the coach e-mailed you with any additional information about their program, thank them for this as well. Keep this part of the e-mail short and to the point—college coaches have to respond to a lot of e-mails.^{[3]
X
Research source}
2
Be humble when responding to praise. Part of why coaches get in touch with you is to learn more about your character. If they wrote to you about how your skills impressed them, it’s a good idea to mention the support you get from your team and current coaches. That way, the coach knows that you're someone with a good sense of sportsmanship.^{[4]
X
Research source}
3
Address any concerns or requests from the coach. If the coach requests anything in particular, like an updated highlight reel, be prepared to send one over. Similarly, they might ask you for your standardized test scores or GPA. Be honest and enthusiastic when responding.^{[5]
X
Research source}
4
Ask the coach any follow-up questions that you might have. The recruiting process is a two-way street, where both you and the coach learn more about each other. If you have any questions at this stage in the process, go ahead and ask them.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- For example, you might ask something like: “What’s the team culture like on and off the court?” or “What’s the daily practice schedule like?”
5
End the e-mail by showing your interest. Before signing off on your e-mail, mention how excited you are about the team and school. Coaches want to talk to enthusiastic recruits, so demonstrating your excitement is always a good move.^{[7]
X
Research source}
6
Give the coach a call if they asked to speak with you. If your coach has expressed interest in talking to you over the phone, take them up on this opportunity. The coach is showing you that they want to get to know you better, and you should use this as a chance to tell them about yourself and why you’d be a good fit for their team.^{[8]
X
Research source}
7
Sample Email: Dear Coach, Thank you for this e-mail. It means a lot to me that you think I could be a potentially good fit for the team. I really appreciate the additional information on your program—it’s been exciting to look through this material. I’m grateful to hear that you were impressed by my performance. I’ve learned a lot over the years from my teammates and coaches, and am really looking forward to improving more in the future. I’m more than happy to provide the information you asked for. I received a 25 on the ACT, and a GPA of 3.0. I’ve made academic progress over my high school career, and after freshman year, my GPA has been a 3.4. You mentioned in your e-mail that I might not be interested in your program because it’s at a D2 school. I want to assure you that I would be really excited to be a part of the team as a D2 athlete—I really admire the attitude and talent you have at Wayne State, which is something I value more than anything. I did have a quick question for you. What are you looking for in a player for my position? Thanks again for getting in touch with me. Wayne State seems like a wonderful place to play and study, and I’m really looking forward to communicating more in the future. Yours, Jackie

Section 3 of 4:

Responding to a College Coach When You’re Not Interested

1
Respond politely if you’re not interested. Not responding to a coach’s e-mail is okay as well, but sending them a brief note will be much appreciated. Don’t worry—coaches get these e-mails all the time. Let them know that, while you’re grateful for the interest, the school doesn’t seem like a great fit for you.^{[9]
X
Trustworthy Source
Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
Go to source}
- Always include a salutation and closer in your email.^{[10]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Tami Claytor
  Etiquette Coach
  Expert Interview. 29 September 2020.}
2
Sample Email: Dear Coach, I wanted to send you this e-mail to let you know how grateful I am for your interest. It means a lot to me that you would take the time to watch me play and reach out to me. I’ve thought about joining you at the University of Michigan long and hard, and at this point, I think that other schools would be a better fit for me. Thank you again for your kind e-mail—I really appreciate it. Sincerely, James

Section 4 of 4:

Tips for Sending a Great E-Mail

1
Reply to the coaches yourself. The coach wants players who are independent, and it can give the wrong impression if parents are the ones responding to their e-mails. If you’re a parent, make sure that your child is the one who responds to this initial e-mail from the coach.^{[11]
X
Research source}
2
Proofread your e-mail for spelling and grammar mistakes. Being sure that your e-mail is clear of errors will help you make a great first impression.^{[12]
X
Expert Source

Tami Claytor
Etiquette Coach
Expert Interview. 29 September 2020.} If you aren’t too confident about your own writing skills, ask a friend or family member to help.^{[13]
X
Trustworthy Source
Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
Go to source}
- While you should be careful about making too many typos, everyone understands that these happen sometimes. Don’t worry too much if you hit send and catch a minor error later.
3
Respond within a day or two. It’s polite to reply to e-mails within a reasonable time frame, especially when it’s someone you might want to impress. But if you received the e-mail from the coach over 48 hours ago and still haven’t responded, don’t panic. Try to to send them a response as soon as you can.^{[14]
X
Research source}