Checking references on a coach

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Author	Comment
VBONE	Checking references on a coach	Lead	[-]
Registered Member Posts: 4 (05/08/08 9:09 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tags : None My daughter is trying to decide on committing to Div. I school but we really need to find out more about the head coach. She would be a very long distance from home and we just want to talk to players he has coached in the past to get some other opinions. Should we ask the coach or AD for references or just try to contact them directly? What the best and most appropriate way to go about this? When being recruited, you don't always get the full view.
vbmom2x	Trust your gut	#1	[-]
Registered Member Posts: 207 (05/08/08 11:42 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	You are right that you won't get a full view. Part of that is because the college experience is different for everyone. I would encourage your daughter to spend time with the team on a visit. I would be very leery of a school that did not afford you plenty of time with team members WITHOUT the coach being present. Many schools will allow recruits to spend the night with a player for a nominal fee (whatever the school requires) and this was hands down where my daughter got the real scoop. That being said, you will never have the "whole story" because your daughter isn't a main character in it yet . Both you and your daughter need to just be very tuned in to your gut reaction and seek the place it all feels right for both of you. Also, remember that coaches change - often. Like the school and the team first. Good luck!
geezer		#2	[-]
Registered Member Posts: 45 (05/09/08 5:36 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	As a dad of 2 D-1ers, my suggestion... try to find school where she'll be happy even if she never sets foot back on court.. One of mine stayed local, loved the coach, liked the team, hated the school ... coach changed, liked the new coach, liked the team, hated the school. Absolutely miserable. Transferred. loved the school, liked the coach and team, much happier. the other went a long, long way .. loved the school, tolerated the coach, liked the team. Coach changed, loved the school, liked the coach, liked the team, got injured.... stayed. If she's already done a visit and has contact with players, call them and talk. Look up old rosters. Try to contact former players who aren't on campus any more. I think the Rick Kern website has a section on coaches longevity. Once in a while that will give you a clue. Coach moves around a lot... I mean a lot... not usually a good sign. That's not always true, but ... Google the coach by name. See what the PR is. AND VBMOM2X is absolutely right. Gut reaction to all the parts, coach, school and team is extraordinarily important.
relativeyoungster		#3	[-]
Registered Member Posts: 854 (05/09/08 8:08 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	geezer wrote: I think the Rick Kern website has a section on coaches longevity. Once in a while that will give you a clue. Coach moves around a lot... I mean a lot... not usually a good sign. That's not always true, but ... Also, look at the type of moves....are they moving up in the world? or laterally?
VBONE	Thanks for input	#4	[-]
Registered Member Posts: 4 (05/09/08 10:56 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	We have taken "official" and visited with the current players in a group session (which the coach encouraged) and my daughter with some players individually. This a new coach, so they really don't know much about the coach yet. Gut feeling says everything is fine but just like in hiring a new employee, doesn't hurt to check references. The main thing we're looking for is quality education 1st and foremost and volleyball 2nd but the vb is funding the education, so goes both ways.
WIVBCRAZY		#5	[-]
Registered Member Posts: 753 (05/10/08 9:31 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Where did the coach come from? You might want to go to that school website, local paper, etc and see if there is anything written regarding the coach and the leave. See what kind of turnover that school had while that coach was there if it was a head coaching position. The past can show the future.
momcoach	check old rosters/stats	#6	[-]
Registered Member Posts: 10 (05/15/08 7:24 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Something I highly recommend and is very simple to do with all of the updated college websites is to check the past rosters and stats. If you do not see underclassmen players returning from one year to the next that is a big red flag. An even bigger red flag is if you compare the non-returning players to their stat sheets and find out those players were starters and/or big contributers to the team, which would mean they are probably getting athletic money, but STILL did not return. Longevity of a coach might mean absolutely nothing, except that they might be personal friends of the AD. My daughter's coach had been at the school for many years, and in her four years at the college, there were 10 PLAYERS that had quit the team, mine being #7! I would find a way to contact previous players that have quit the team...don't bother with the current players because most of them are afraid to speak up.....until they quit, and even then some will NEVER talk about it until they recover many years later:( Do your homework before you send your daughter to ANY school.
gobears1	ask the coach and director of	#7	[-]
Registered Member Posts: 142 (05/17/08 10:14 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	the club that your daughter plays for. They should have some info or can make some calls and get some info. Most directors of clubs are well connected and so are many club coaches.... they know someone who played for the new coach, they know someone who coached WITH that coach , they may know some players who played for that coach a couple jobs back. check the new coach's bio. Where were they position before the last one? Ask who knows someone from THAT school? Last Edited By: gobears1 05/17/08 10:17 PM. Edited 1 times.
odkbull	Facebook...	#8	[-]
Registered Member Posts: 9 (06/16/08 8:10 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	...Another method of checking on a coach...have your daughter contact the coaches players on Facebook and just simply ask them privately what they think. Away from the coach, through a medium with which they are comfortable, the players will be more free to be honest.
DirectionallyChallenged	talk to transfers + instinct	#9	[-]
Registered Member Posts: 206 (06/24/08 12:53 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	We were in same situation this spring. Looked at roster from last 2 seasons to see who is there, who left. Located those playes who went MIA via prepvolleyball to determine which clubs they played for. Then contacted the club with our information and requested them to ask the parents to contact us. Found very valuable information which validated things were just couldn't put our finger on! Didn't even waste our time/money on a trip that wasn't going anywhere. Good luck
halongbay	Our best resource...	#10	[-]
Registered Member Posts: 67 (06/24/08 1:32 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	was RichKern.com. He has taken the time to compile a page of DI to DI transfers, by year and by school. It is extremely helpful to see which schools have high numbers of transfers. You need a subscription for this website but is well worth the money -- we used it for hours and hours of research. Don't know what we'd have done without it!