<p>Anyone have any experience with this happening? We've experienced it twice already. It happens, people change jobs, I know. But it irritates me when the coach that your child been speaking to for months....who has been cheerleading for a school that your kid really likes, calls them up ten minutes after they take up their new post and tells them it's their NEW school that they really should be playing for. How do you handle it? Should we call the head coach and reaffirm our interest in the school?</p>
<p>We had this happen with 2 coaches…</p>
<p>In one case the coach did send a nice email letting our K1 know that they had changed to a different U…</p>
<p>The other coach–we read about it online in a sports specific blog and the U (team) dropped the ball in recruiting.</p>
<p>Your student needs to be picking the school for the school–the academics etc …and not the coach. Ever.</p>
<p>The coach wheel spins every year…and of course they want to start at their new place bringing athletes with them…</p>
<p>We also had it happen with 2 coaches. It was definitely weird to have a coach that had been promoting and selling all the wonderful aspects of the school and team to call 3 weeks later and say, wait, I’m here now…and this place is even better! </p>
<p>Honestly, it made the decision really hard for my daughter. Coach was a terrific, respected guy, but she ended up opting for his former employer.</p>
<p>It was a wise decision. The following year, same coach moved to yet another school.</p>
<p>People change jobs. Coaches change jobs. It is a reality in my sons sport and most sports. Does it create confusion? Absolutely. however it is the recruit’s responsibility to stay on top of these things especially as it starts to get serious. There is a much different recruiting tone and timing with “interest” and “genuine interest” in the process. If the school is in the “genuine interest” mode the head coach should be involved too. </p>
<p>On a positive note, the previous recruiting coach must think highly of you to recontact you and bring another opportunity to you that you previously didn’t have. ;-)</p>
<p>Over the Xmas break I talked to my son about some of the coaches and programs that seriously recruited and offered him. Out of 5 programs, only 2 head coaches have remained head coaches and only 1 recruiting coach is still in that same role 4 years later. Unfortunately, it is the recruits that have to adjust to the ever changing coaching landscape.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks for the input. I mostly just wondered if this is a common thing…or if it said anything about the program. @ Varska…that’s it exactly. It’s just weird after receiving emails and phone calls for 8 months about one school…the most recent only two weeks ago, then to get a call singing praises about another school. My son has no interest in the new school. I’m just thinking that he should reach out to the head coach - who did send an email reiterating his interest…just to keep the lines of communication open since 95% of all of his contact with the program so far has been through a coach that is no longer on staff.</p>
<p>We had four coaches turn over during junior year, out of about 15 schools we were looking at during that period. At one school, we had already arranged our UV, so the outgoing coach and incoming coach met us together. They made an offer but the money wasn’t great. We continued to talk to the coach at her new school, one which we hadn’t previously considered, but it turned out she really liked. She got an offer there, too, although it’s not where she wound up.</p>
<p>Another school was one of her top choices and she was a top recruit there, so it looked like a foregone conclusion she’d end up there. Wrong! By the end of junior year we were wondering what was taking so long for them to make an offer. Then one day we get a very strange and cryptic email from the assistant coach wishing us all the best with that school. Follow up emails were not answered, and the school’s AD was reticent. We think (still not sure) the coach and assistant coaches were fired. By the time a replacement was hired we were committed elsewhere.</p>
<p>At two other schools, the outgoing coaches were not that encouraging, but she loved the schools so she kept sending updates. New coaches meant a new opportunity to introduce herself, and while she ultimately did not get offers from them, they both showed more interest than their predecessors.</p>
<p>Coaches come and go, so use it to your advantage!</p>
<p>Best overall advice, when a coach/AD or the old regiem leaves a school, so should the recruit. The relationship is with the coach/staff and the athlete, that particular coachj has review your skills and decided you would be a good fit,</p>
<p>the new guy wants his OWN people and if you weren’t one of them before or you happen to one of those left over when the staff changes you are at his mercy, most will honor your scholarship but you are not a priority.</p>
<p>We actually showed up to the appointment with a recruiting coach only to find out that the coach we were meeting with was no longer working at the school. Since it wasn’t an official visit, it was definitely weird to walk in the door and find that no one remaining really knew we were coming. I was ticked we weren’t appraised of the departure by the coach our daughter was dealing with AND frankly, that our D wasn’t even on the radar of the head coach yet. However… every organization is different and there is often a very clear division of labor which I can appreciate vs a micromanaged one. </p>
<p>My advice in this case would be to contact the head coach and see if there is a genuine interest from HIS program, especially if it’s a school you wish to attend. I do not recommend following a coach to a different school for exactly the reasons outlined above.</p>
<p>Happened to us. Found out through the news. Son lost his spot as a result and the coach never notified him. Son also lost a spot when a college dropped his sport, or tried to but had to reinstate due to outcry, but it messed up all of the athletic recruitment that year. People think having an athletic recruit means you have it made. Not at all. A lot of extra concerns and issues come with it.</p>
<p>Wow Modadunn…I think I would have flipped. Really unprofessional. At least in our case we learned about the coach’s departure from the head coach…he emailed my son and reiterated his interest and excitement about my son playing on his team. </p>
<p>@schoolhouse…I guess I just respectfully disagree. My son’s interest and “relationship” is as much (or even more) with the school…and it’s program and academics than with the sports program. He did a recruiting weekend with the team, had a meeting with the head coach, and felt really positive about both. I can’t see him crossing the school off the list just because one person on the staff got a new job.</p>
<p>
I’ll have to respectfully disagree with this too. Unless we’re talking about 'Bama football or the like, the relationship is with the college, not the athletic department.</p>
<p>I agree that you pick the school, not the coach, but the reality is, depending on when the switch occurs in the process, you may find that a school that had been very interested is no longer interested because the new coach has their own list of recruits that they arrive with or a different assessment of need. </p>
<p>Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using CC</p>
<p>Sherpa,</p>
<p>I agree 100%. There is no downside to coaches changing a job unless they are walking into NCAA sanctions. There is typically a downside for student athletes transferring to follow a coach who decides to move on.</p>
<p>JoBenny - it all worked out. The head coach took the meeting and technically, D was late to the recruiting party anyway. It probably was a benefit to have that one-on-one with the head coach vs an assistant anyway. And I don’t know why exactly, but I was more embarrassed than ticked, although granted it was rude of the assistant to not email us and let us know, but really? It wouldn’t have changed our plans to visit because the plane tickets were already bought.</p>
<p>Our story is a little unique in that D had picked the school she wanted to attend vs a team to play on. She was going to the school whether she’d play DI or club. So maybe if she had been officially recruited in some way, I would have felt differently. As it is, now I am hoping this year goes well enough that they might give her scholarship money next year. There are no free rides with a roster of 28 or so and 12.5 scholarships, but it would be nice to have a little help especially when they play as if it’s a full time job while going to school.</p>
<p>PS… from my experience (not personal but those of friends etc), it is usually the case that if a coach leaves, the recruits are released from their verbals. Not sure how that works when it comes to signings, but I haven’t heard it be the case that coaches or athletic departments MAKE kids attend OR prevent them from playing, even with a transfer, which is admittedly, a lot trickier of when or if you can solicit interest from other coaches (usually after release).</p>
<p>let me put it like this,most of the people on College Confidential are not the ones that are being recruited like some revenue sports recruits(NLI/press conferences/campus visits/chicks/bring a friend or two driving a coaches car etc…ok. This crowd is looking at the school first and athletics second and in some cases as the “hook” to gain admissions. Nevertheless; the athletic angle is about the relationship with the coaches,if it was only about the school we wouldn’t be having this discussion, because it would be all about the school and admissions and the programs, but when you chose to bring this sports thing into it,than we have to face some tough realities.</p>
<p>^ Right, if Nick Saban recruited you and your NLI signing will be a press-conference event - the education offered at your school is probably secondary.</p>
<p>But for the kids who take the “student” part of “student athlete” seriously, the best advice is to choose the school over the coach.</p>
<p>But the truth is… Nick Saban (or whomever) probably has multiple offers of admission to consider and it would STILL be up to him to pick the school first, coach second. Usually top athletes with press conferenced will have multiple recruiters knocking on his door. Have you never seen the Blind Side? ;)</p>
<p>But MOST are not those kids. Mostly it’s a combination because coaches don’t necessarily find you, you find them… even if that’s through the help of a well connected coach who is making the calls on your behalf.</p>
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<p>Nick Saban is the Head Coach of 'Bama football.</p>
<p>I guess that it’s pretty common for the recruiting coach to leave. During my recruitment, I had three coaches within the same conference that decided to switch schools. </p>
<p>It was pretty weird to have one coach be at school A one week, then call you back the next week informing you that they’re the new coach at school B. </p>
<p>One ended up moving to another school that was also recruiting me; a school in which I was much more interested in. It pays to be honest with coaches! Especially when they ask you about the other schools and your level of interest.</p>
<p>But anyway, coaches are looking to better themselves. If there is a better opportunity, it is likely that the coach will take it for various reasons (bigger salary, closer proximity to relatives, spouse, retirement, etc). You should ask a coach what there future plans are but I’d say to always be mindful. I wouldn’t make my college decision based on a coach.</p>