How To Email Coaches

Want to get noticed by college coaches?

Email and direct messages are key, but there's also a sweet spot between not enough and too much. And sending the right kind of message also matters-a lot.

Sending an intro email can be your way in, but coaches get bombarded with emails-sometimes thousands and thousands at the bigger schools. So you need to stand out!

To improve your chances of a coach opening and replying to your email, we've put together some helpful resources, including examples and templates to show you how.

1. Subject Line: Make it catchy!
2. Intro: Who you are and why you're emailing.
3. Personal Touch: Show them you're not just spamming everyone.
4. Stats: Highlight your athletic and academic wins.
5. Action Item: Give them something to do-like check out your highlight video or contact your high school coach.
6. Proofread: Typos are a no-go!

Coaches have hundreds of emails to scour through, so make it simple for them to know the basics about you right away before they even open your email. These are the basics that every single one of your emails should include in the subject line:

• Name
• Graduation year (include graduation year instead of junior, sophomore, freshman, etc.)
• Position
• Location (city/state)
• High school

Here are some samples:

• Joey Johnson, Class of 2027, QB, Kansas City (KS) Washington
• QB Mathew Martin

Keep it brief, friendly, polite, and professional!

Include the coach's last name and key recruiting details: high school, location, graduation year, and position.

Start your email with a polite greeting, such as:

Dear Coach [Last Name],

I'm [Your Name], a [Height/Weight] [Position] in the Class of [Grad Year] at [Your High School] in [Your City], [Your State.]

If you just use "Dear Coach," it's a dead giveaway that you're just copying/pasting a form email. It takes no extra... amount of time to personalize it, and it gives the impression that you're putting a modicum of effort into this.

While a lot of coaches out there go on a first-name basis for the players and coaches on their staff, we highly advise against addressing an email to the coach's first name. Coaches don't know you from Adam early in the recruiting process, so when you reach out to them, they expect some level of respect. Also, don't use their nickname! If you've built a strong enough relationship with the coach to use their nickname, you're likely not emailing them and are communicating with them through text or direct message.

Use an introduction and greeting like you would address somebody you're trying to get a job interview with-because that's exactly what you're trying to do.

Next, show the coach you have done your homework and are genuinely interested in their program. Mention specific reasons about why you are interested in their school and program, and what you like about their coaching style. You can also highlight any connections you may have to the program, such as a former teammate or coach.

Here's an example:

Dear Coach [Last Name], I'm [Your Name], a [Height/Weight] [Position] in the Class of [Grad Year] at [Your High School] in [Your City], [Your State.] I was impressed by your program's success, especially your recent conference championship win. I also have a former teammate [His Name] who now plays for your team, and they've told me great things about the program and the coaching staff.

Other examples:

• Dear Coach [Last Name], I'm [Your Name], a [Height/Weight] [Position] in the Class of [Grad Year] at [Your High School] in [Your City], [Your State.] I'm really excited about [College School Name] after visiting campus and seeing your team compete last season in the [Mention specific game/event.]
• Dear Coach [Last Name], I'm [Your Name], a [Height/Weight] [Position] in the Class of [Grad Year] at [Your High School] in [Your City], [Your State.] I'm reaching out to introduce myself because I am very interested in playing at [College School Name]. It offers everything I am looking for in a college with a recognized business school and a competitive program with a winning tradition.

This is where you can showcase your athletic and academic abilities to the coach. Mention your position, height/weight, relevant stats, awards, and any other accomplishments that make you stand out as a player. You should also include a link or attach your athletic resume and definitely link and share your highlight reel.

Academics are just as important as athletics when it comes to recruiting, so be sure to mention your GPA, class rank, test scores, and any honors or AP courses you have taken. Coaches value athletes who excel both on and off the field, so emphasize your academic dedication and commitment.

Example:

Dear Coach [Last Name], I'm [Your Name], a [Height/Weight] [Position] in the Class of [Grad Year] at [Your High School] in [Your City], [Your State.] I'm reaching out to express my strong interest in [School name]. [School name] checks many boxes on my priority list: a successful program, an amazing location (I have always dreamed of playing in [college city name]), and strong academic alignment. Here are some of my notable achievements:

• Put an athletic accomplishment here
• Put an athletic accomplishment here

I have enclosed my athletic and academic resume, highlight links, and my coach's contact information.

In addition to my athletic accomplishments, I have a [GPA] GPA and am ranked [class ranking] in my class. I've taken several honors and AP courses and plan to major in [insert major].

In the closing paragraph, it's important to thank the coach for their time and consideration. Be sure to provide the... contact information for your high school coach, even if it's on your resume. You can also invite them to learn more about you by watching you at an upcoming competition schedule (HS game and future recruiting camps/showcases).

An example includes:

Thank you for taking the time to read my email! I've attached my upcoming schedule if you will be attending the [insert the name of the showcase, camp, or combine]. I have also included the contact information of my coach:

• Coach [Coach's Full Name]
• Phone Number: [Coach's Phone Number]
• Email Address: [Coach's Email Address]

Can't wait to learn more about your school! Sincerely, [Your Full Name]

• DO proof your email! Check for mistakes before hitting send. Read your email carefully to make sure everything makes sense, and there are no spelling or grammar errors. By proofreading your email, you show the coach that you care about doing things right and that you're a careful person who pays attention to details.
• DO double-check the spelling of the coach's name, and it never hurts to triple-check the spelling of the school, especially if it's something exotic or different. Unique spellings are things you'll definitely run into with schools in the D-II, DIII, NAIA, and junior college levels.
• DO be prepared to follow up. Coaches get hundreds of emails a day, so know that it might take multiple attempts to get their attention.
• DO your research on the coach and their team/sports program. You may be sending introductory emails to more than one coach, but that doesn't mean you lose the personalization of each email. Give each email that you write your dedicated attention and let them know you are a serious candidate who aspires to be a part of their program.
• DO try reaching out to college coaches via email between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. in their respective time zones. Most coaches are available in the late afternoon and early evening after spending the early part of the day coaching their teams.
• DO be very specific! Vague emails with nothing specific about the university and a closing line asking coaches to contact you if we're interested scream, "I copied and pasted this exact same email to 18 other coaches."
• DO set aside an hour or two to craft some well-written emails to schools you're actually interested in instead of firing off the first thing that comes to mind to every coach in the country.
• DO respond quickly when a college coach emails you or replies to your emails! A general rule of thumb: reply within 24 hours at most. Quick responses show that you're engaged, responsible, and serious about the recruiting process. Delayed responses-or worse, no response-can signal disinterest, even if that's not your intent. Even if you're not currently interested in a school, it's still important to respond. Recruiting is unpredictable-offers shift, rosters change, and coaching staff decisions evolve.
• DON'T have mom or dad email the coach for you. It's common for parents to help players out. They're better at grammar and writing but hearing from mom or dad is a red flag to coaches. It tells a college coach that mom or dad may be a helicopter parent and be around and involved more than they should. Coaches want players who can speak for themselves and accomplish tasks without the help of others. Parents, your biggest involvement should be checking grammar and punctuation and giving suggestions on how to market your athlete better.
• DON'T use an inappropriate email address. For a coach who has never met you, your email address is the first thing they see, so act as if this is your first impression. Some coaches may not even open your email if it has a weird email address. Your email address should not be ideserveafullride@yahoo.com or offermenow@gmail.com-both are real email addresses recruiters shared with us.
• DON'T send a mass email, and NEVER include all of the coaches you're emailing in a single email. Coaches want to know that you have taken the time to address each email personally and you have included a few facts you have researched about the school. It's easy for coaches to tell if he's received a mass email, and those are the emails that nothing gets read past "Dear Coach."
• DON'T use a recruiting service to email. Many coaches view those emails as spam or have folders set up to automatically delete them. Take the time to email coaches with your personal email account. It shows you've made the effort and are invested!
• DON'T send a long email or include non-relevant information! You don't want them to be stuck reading an email that takes 10 minutes to read through. Coaches want information, and they want it quickly. So, keep your email read times to about 3 minutes. A coach will only scan long emails, and they will only be looking for the most important information.
• DON'T send short, informal messages. Example: "Hey coach, I wanna play for you. Here's my highlights. Let me know what you think."
• DON'T include information about "playing football since you were 6" or "my dream has always been to play college football." Every player who emails a coach has been playing since they were 6, and, if you are emailing them, they hope you have aspirations of playing college football.
• DON'T overload your message with too much info or come across as arrogant. Example: "Hey Coach, my name is Jake, I started on varsity as a freshman, I'm 6'2, I'm really good, I wanna go D1, and I hope you can help me."
• DON'T brag or make assumptions. Example: "I'm Johnny, and I play football at Des Moines Roosevelt. I'm captain and the best on my team and think I could be the best or close to the best on yours, too. I'm talking to a ton of D1 schools right now. I'd love to talk about getting a scholarship to your school. Thanks."