How important is a sport recruitment recommendation from a coach? Does it make a big impact on your chances if a coach writes a letter to admissions that they would like you on their team?
Very much depends on the school and the coach and the applicant’s other qualifications. So if an applicant is academically in line a coach’s support will help at most schools. If an applicant is below the average academically there are some schools that will take them if a coach wants them and some that will not.
In my experience it’s more than “a letter.” I’ve witnessed conversations and I think that’s a more likely scenario.
If you want to talk about specific schools those of us with knowledge of those schools might be more helpful.
They don’t write a letter, they either call or walk to the admissions office and talk. If your academics are in the ballpark and you are full pay it is as good of a hook as you can get. If not, it may be less helpful but still a plus depending on a lot of other factors. Also depends on the sport, they care about some a lot more than others (and this varies by the school too).