For most players, your college coach is someone who will make a significant impact on your athletic experience and someone who you will spend a significant amount of time with.
How much time? Well, about 4 hours/day, 6days/week, which adds up to 200+ hours each semester!
However, prospects should NOT base their entire college decision on who their coach is because many head coaching contracts in college golf range from 3-6 years, but your head coach can still be a big piece of your final decision!
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with college coaches at every level in college golf. From my conversations and interactions, one thing is obvious – the best college coaches share many of the same characteristics.
Great College Golf Coaches …
· Are noble mentors, leaders, and motivators
· Aren’t caught “off guard” or flustered easily
· Know when/how to motivate their players & are trusted by their team.
· Have faith and passion in their players
· Have faith and passion in their plan
· Demand perfection (or near perfection) in their players, on & off the course.
· Understand that winning is the only thing that they will be judged on
· Create realistic goals & expectations for themselves, their coaching staff, and their players
· Successfully balance team activities, travel, recruiting, fundraising, and much more
· Learn from past experiences and take on traits of the best coaches they’ve worked for
· Expect to host tough and demanding team practices.
· Have strong relationships with other coaches across the country at every level
· Enjoy the process of Coaching, even the early mornings and long 36-hole days in college golf.
· Are open, honest, and completely transparent with their players
· Operate their program with clear-cut and precise team rules
· Verbalize everything that is expected of them, their coaching staff, and their players, regularly
· Expect their players to hold each other accountable
· Take time to listen and understand each of their players
· Put the “big-picture” in perspective, always
Please consider these characteristics when speaking or meeting with college coaches and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Remember, the best coach for someone else, might not be the best Coach for YOU and just because the school is a great fit for you, doesn’t mean the Coach is, and vice versa. The best coach for YOU is someone who shows endearing confidence in you, is persistent with their communication, and someone who genuinely cares for you, your future, and is open and honest about how they can actively help guide you there.
Best of luck on your journey toward college golf,
Michael J. Smith
Founder, ForeCollegeGolf
ForeCollegeGolf is a college placement and recruiting business where Mike aims to apply his background in competitive golf and recruiting education to help educate players, their families and coaches about the college recruiting process.
If you have any questions about the article above, any feedback, an article idea you would like to provide; you can contact us at mike.smith@forecollegegolf.com or www.ForeCollegeGolf.com.
