College Coaches Sharing Info On Player

"...would they reach out to their colleagues at other schools and say hey you need to look at this kid. Or is that just a pipe dream?"

Not a pipe dream, at least not in my #2 son's case, but this was at D3 level schools with pretty competitive admissions, so may not apply to higher levels of play or to schools with more flexible admission standards.  

 #2 go dinged by admissions at two schools in EA/ED rounds for reasons not worth going into. My #1 son's coach had seen son #2 at a couple of showcases and had offered a slot but #2 didn't want to play with his brother.

After the bad news from admissions, we weren't sure what #2's next step should be so #1 son asked his own coach for advice. That coach had seen #2 play and was high on him, he got on the phone and called four other D3 coaches.

 All four had used all their slots (of course) but after seeing #2's videos, they each decided to back him with admissions as much as they could.  It worked out really well with #2 gaining admission at three of the schools and he ended up at one that had been on his original list  when he started the recruiting process. 

My hunch is this is not the only time that coaches have let each other know about a good player that they don't have room for.  It didn't hurt any, though, that there already were personal relationships in place.

@everypitch posted:

I am curious to know how coaches in the same league or even different league handle conversations with other coaches, when they are both recruiting or have interest in the same player? Should the player 100% expect that the coaches will talk and share information? Will coaches do any horse trading without the player knowing or does it play out more like a poker game with no one sharing the real information? I know coaches are busy and 100% focused on their program, but I also know they have long reaching relationships, so when they say no need for kid at our program, position, academics, location etc, and would they reach out to their colleagues at other schools and say hey you need to look at this kid. Or is that just a pipe dream? I know when I hire people, when we find a great candidate but have no fit I try to give them ideas of other companies to look at or will make direct introductions to my connections for the candidate. 

I am about 99% sure this happened with keewartson.  I shared on another post that 2 ACC schools looked hard but passed on him, just as another school in a different conference (still D1, where he wound up going) was hot on his heels.  

I didn't realize the closeness of the two coaches until the coach that recruited keewartson went to work for the other at a totally different school.  Yep, his coach left before keewartson took his first class on campus.

I have sat and listened to coaches talk about players both good and bad.  I've heard P5 coaches tell other P5 coaches that needed to go take a look at player X.  He would fit your system and I know you are looking for a SS for 2 years from now.  I have a guy but he would do good for you.  I also know that my son was referred to an SEC guy by a Big 10 guy.  He told him my buddy saw you pitch and thought you could help us.  You are the type of player we try to get.  it happens more than you think and again I remind us "baseball is a small community." 

I've also heard coaches say to a group and individual coaches "you don't want that kid because of ..."  Some times attitude, parents, problems in the past, bad teammate, and on and on.

Fairly sure this happened to some extent with my son as two D1 pitching coaches, who definitely knew each other as one succeeded the other, both reached out to my 2020 son last summer within a day or less from each other. Son was invited to camps at both schools. When my son attended the second camp he let the coach know the first school already offered, and the second coach was well aware. The second school never offered, likely because the coach was hoping for slightly better FB velo, but I always wondered if it was in deference to the first coach offering first.