How to email a college coach: a guide for Australian players

Email the assistant coach who recruits your position or region, keep it to a few short paragraphs, and give them one link with your tapes, stats and academics. Write it yourself, write a new one for each program, and follow up only when you have something new to show.

When to start

You can email a college coach at any time, at any age. The rules limit when coaches can reply, not when you can write.

When a coach can write back depends on the level. NCAA Division I coaches have set start dates, which fall in June of Year 11 for basketball. Division II, NAIA and junior college coaches can reply by email and text at any time. See When can US college coaches contact you? for every level in Australian school years.

If a Division I coach doesn't reply before then, it may be the rules, not you. They can still read your email and watch your tape.

Find the right coach

Most college athletics websites have a "Staff" or "Coaches" page for each team. Look for:

• The assistant coach who recruits your position or region. At bigger programs this is often listed as "Recruiting Coordinator".
• The head coach, at smaller programs where the staff is only two or three people.

Use the coach's own college email address from the staff page. Spell their name and the college name correctly. Check you have the men's or women's team, not the other one.

Make a list of programs that suit your level, your grades and what you want to study. Twenty programs you've looked into are worth more than 200 you haven't. If you're not sure which level fits, see D1, D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO compared.

The subject line

Coaches decide whether to open an email from the subject line. Put the facts they sort players by:

Class of 2028 | 6'1" guard | Jordan Smith | Victoria, Australia

Use your US class, not your Australian school year. If you're not sure what yours is, see US class year explained. Give your height in feet and inches. No capitals, no exclamation marks, no "future star".

What to put in the first email

Coaches should be able to see who you are in the first few lines. Include:

• Your name, US class, position and height (feet and inches, with centimetres in brackets).
• Your club, your state team if you've made one, and your school.
• When you finish Year 12 and when you can start college. Most Australians finish Year 12 in December and start college the following August. Say so, because US coaches may not know.
• A link to a highlight tape and a full game tape. Coaches use the highlight tape to decide whether to look further, and the full game to decide. See How to make a basketball highlight tape.
• Your academics. Your core GPA if you know it, and your results so far. Work it out with the GPA calculator, or see ATAR to GPA.
• One link with everything. An AussieScout profile puts your tapes, stats, academics and eligibility on one link to send coaches.
• Why this program. One or two sentences that show you've looked at it.
• Your next games, if any are streamed or the coach could see them.
• Your club or school coach's name and email, so the college coach can ask about you.

Keep it short

Three or four short paragraphs is enough. Coaches read email on their phones. They need the facts and a link, not your life story.

Write it yourself

The email should come from you, from your own email address, in your own words. Coaches want to know how you communicate, because they'll be coaching you, not your parents.

Parents can help you find programs, check spelling and talk through what to say. Once a coach is interested, parents will be part of the conversation, especially on visits and when talking about scholarships.

Use an email address with your name in it. Check it every day, including the junk folder.

Make each email personal

Coaches can spot a copied email. One sentence that could only be about their program makes a difference. For example:

• A player from Australia on their roster, or a style of play you like.
• A degree they offer that you want to study.
• A recent result or game you watched.

Mention one thing and keep it true. Don't pretend to know more about the program than you do.

Following up

Coaches get a lot of email and don't reply to all of it. That's normal.

• Wait two to four weeks before following up.
• Follow up when you have something new: a new tape, new stats, a state team selection, a school report, your schedule for a tournament.
• Keep follow ups short. Two or three sentences and the new link.
• Reply to the same email thread, so the coach has the first email underneath.
• After four or five emails with no reply, put that program to one side and spend the time on others.

Mainland US time is 14 to 19 hours behind eastern Australia. An email sent at 9pm in Melbourne lands in the middle of their night. Use "schedule send" so it arrives in their morning.

What not to do

• Don't send one email to lots of coaches with everyone in the CC line. Every coach sees every other address, and it tells them they aren't special.
• Don't attach files. Big video files and PDFs get blocked or ignored. Send links that play without a login or a download.
• Don't write a long story. Keep it to what a coach needs to decide.
• Don't exaggerate. Coaches check heights, stats and teams. If something doesn't match, they stop reading.
• Don't use a template word for word or let someone else write it for you. Use the example below as a guide and write your own.
• Don't send it unchecked. Read it out loud once before you send. Check the coach's name, the college name and every link.

An example email

This is an example only. Jordan Smith, the club, the school, the coach and every detail below are made up.

Subject: Class of 2028 | 6'1" guard | Jordan Smith | Victoria, Australia

Hi Coach Taylor,

My name is Jordan Smith. I'm a 6'1" (185 cm) point guard in the
Class of 2028 from Melbourne, Australia. I play Under 18s for the
Riverbend Hawks and was selected in the Victorian Under 18 squad
this year. I finish Year 12 at Hillside Secondary College in
December 2027 and can start college in August 2028.

I watched your win over Lakeview last month and liked how much your
guards push the ball in transition. That's how I play. I also want
to study sport science, which you offer.

My highlight tape, a full game tape, my stats and my school results
are all here: aussiescout.com/jordansmith

My core GPA works out at about 3.4 from my Year 10 and Year 11
results. My club coach is Sam Lee (sam.lee@example.com).

I'd appreciate it if you could look at my full game tape and let
me know if I could be a fit for your program.

Thanks,
Jordan Smith
jordan.smith@example.com
+61 400 000 000

Before you send

1. Find the right coach on the staff page.
2. Write a subject line with your class, height, position, name and state.
3. Check your tapes, stats and school results are up to date.
4. Add one sentence about that program.
5. Read it out loud and check every link.
6. Schedule it for the coach's morning.

Sources: FieldLevel: Emailing coaches, IMG Academy: Emailing college coaches, how to stand out, NCAA Division I Proposal 2021-19, Women's Basketball Recruiting Model, Understanding the NCAA Division II communication rule changes (SportsRecruits)