College teams have head coaches. Some also have coaches who serve as recruiting coordinators. And, on top of that you have assistant coaches - outside of the one who has recruiting in his title.
How often do kids get offers to play with a school where they deal exclusively with that other assistant and they never meet the head coach or recruiting coordinator at all during the process?
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If the recruit is a pitcher it is quite common to have the pitching coach do the recruiting. However it is unlikely any offer is made without the head coach signing off on it. In my sons situation the pitching coach watched him and recruited him and when it was time for the offer made at the recommendation of the pitching coach, the head coach made the offer. The HC had met my son at that point but had not seen him pitch in a game live until after he made the offer. Good luck to your son.
Fairly often. Some coaches want very little to do with recruiting and worry about the roster. Others need to be involved in every conversation. I'd say when the oldest did it probably a 75/25 split in favor of assistants. I found that the RC was not always the most involved in recruiting oddly enough.
@Francis7 posted:How often do kids get offers to play with a school where they deal exclusively with that other assistant and they never meet the head coach or recruiting coordinator at all during the process?
Recruiting coaches and other paid assistant work together ( or they should) to find the best players for their particular program.
Some recruiting assistants also have the title of Associate Head Coach, who can make decisions in the absence of the Head Coach. It would be very unusual for a recruit not to meet the other coaches during the process.
However, as mentioned the Head Coach makes the final decision after recommendation from his staff.
I can't imagine a program being successful if the coaches don't communicate.
JMO
All of my son's offers were delivered in-person by the head coach. In one case the HC traveled to watch him play and communicated directly with him, in other cases the RC or Assistant HC traveled to watch him play and maintained the relationship. I wouldn't feel comfortable if my son got an offer from an assistant coach (or RC), but maybe that's just me.
Son’s teammate did everything through an assistant. He never met the head coach. The scenario should have been a red flag.
The recruiting assistant was a new hire for a major conference program. He had been an up and coming D2 head coach. His D2 was ranked. He recruited the teammate to the major conference D1 he was recruiting for his ranked D2 program. It was the only D1 offer the kid got.
The kid showed up on campus. The first week they started changing everything about his game. When he hadn’t traveled with the team or seen the field in a couple of home blowouts by mid season he approached the head coach.
The head coach told him he didn’t like his game. At the end of season review the kid was going to be told he wasn’t wanted back. He was told that day.
Most of PTWoodson's offers were from the HC. At the school where he committed, he had a recruiting contact but several coaches saw him multiple times and they would not offer until the HC saw him play in person (not always the case...he did get offers from schools where only the recruiting coordinator say him). The HC was the one who had the final call with us about the program (academics, philosophy, vision for the future, living situation, etc.) and made the offer. This was pre-COVID so I know things are different now but we appreciated this approach.
Recruiting has changed but some things remain the same. It is the Head Coaches job to win games. At some point it is his responsibility to become familiar with all new recruits, either on the road or in his office, before or after an offer. COVID has changed the way business is done, but most have embraced different methods by way of zoom, videos, twitter, etc.
I agree with RJM, big red flag if you get to campus and the HC is not familiar with you.
Don't let that happen to your son.
Come in Franny this isn't the Jets. ...-1
Son was seriously recruited by 3 schools before he committed. All recruiting was done by the RC. We visited the school he eventually ended up at but the HC had had surgery on his foot the day before and couldn't make it. That RC was also the PC. Son got the offer from him and accepted. Not sure if the HC had even seen him play....we don't recall ever seeing him at a game but he may have been at a showcase. He's easy to spot...I think we would have noticed lol
I agree with RJM, big red flag if you get to campus and the HC is not familiar with you.
Don't let that happen to your son.
^^^^This.
A good friend of my son's went to a big conference D1 as an early commit. He texted my son in the fall of freshman year asking if the coaches knew his name? (Apparently, his coaches did not). He was gone after his freshman year of never seeing the field.
What we have here is a failure to communicate!
Titles are confusing. It is about what they are going to do or not do for your son that is important. Don't confuse the champion in your son's recruitment for the decision maker in your son's recruitment. It is often two different people. We experienced many different recruiting situations. If you don't know, ask who is making the decision. This is 100% the recruits responsibility.
We experienced coaching confusion at a D1 mid-major. We knew who the champion was. We knew who the decision maker was. But apparently the RC (champion) sent the HC (decision maker) a note with details about my son's visit that he hadn't read. They weren't on the same page, and of course it was the RC's fault (according to the HC) for not following up with the HC. Even when the recruit does all the right things you do things they can turn out wrong. Over communicate! None the less, it turned out well as my son left as he left with an offer from the HC.
The lesson we learned is to never take any recruiting communication for granted. Be crisp, clear and concise. Make sure you know who is making the decision, why and when. If there is any ambiguity, ask for clarification.
Good luck!
@fenwaysouth posted:What we have here is a failure to communicate!
Titles are confusing. It is about what they are going to do or not do for your son that is important. Don't confuse the champion in your son's recruitment for the decision maker in your son's recruitment. It is often two different people. We experienced many different recruiting situations. If you don't know, ask who is making the decision. This is 100% the recruits responsibility.
We experienced coaching confusion at a D1 mid-major. We knew who the champion was. We knew who the decision maker was. But apparently the RC (champion) sent the HC (decision maker) a note with details about my son's visit that he hadn't read. They weren't on the same page, and of course it was the RC's fault (according to the HC) for not following up with the HC. Even when the recruit does all the right things you do things they can turn out wrong. Over communicate! None the less, it turned out well as my son left as he left with an offer from the HC.
The lesson we learned is to never take any recruiting communication for granted. Be crisp, clear and concise. Make sure you know who is making the decision, why and when. If there is any ambiguity, ask for clarification.
Good luck!
Sales 101 ...
Life is a sales game. Who are the influencers? Who makes the decision? Win over the influencers. Trial close the influencers. Close the decision maker.
Good post Fenway, however, the coaches now have email, on their computers and phones. No excuses!!!! 
But I agree 100%, always ask who is the final decision maker, recruit needs to ask not mom or dad.
Something I have always stressed, and this goes back to my sons recruitment. Don't accept an offer unless you know who has approved it.
