Picture this: You just committed to the school of your dreams. The facilities are fantastic and the coaches are the best part–maybe aside from the sweet gear you will be getting. The decision to commit was difficult, but your future coaches made it a lot easier for you and your dazzling personality and skills impressed them so much that they recruited you heavily and they did everything they could to land you. Everything looks great!

You are counting down the days to every milestone ahead of you, set to sign your NLI in a week or two, but then out of the blue the coaching staff calls to let you know they will be leaving, and a new coaching staff will be taking over. You are in shock, and then you start to feel all different emotions run through your body. What do you do? Where do you go for advice? Should you follow your coach? The truth is, coaching changes happen more than you would think and many athletes have been stuck in this precarious situation. So how do you cope? Consider these six tips to help you make the best choice.

Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities, and Campus Visits

1. Breathe

You have worked the majority of your life to get where you are now which is a massive accomplishment, so pat yourself on the back for that one. Only 7% of high school athletes (about 1 in 14) go on to play a varsity sport in college and less than 2% of high school athletes (1 in 54) go on to play at NCAA Division I schools so you're in elite company. Sure, the new coaches do not know you as well as the others did, but your talent, hard work, and passion is something they know you possess because you would have never made it this far. The good news is: you have options, so you can relax a bit. 

2. Communicate 

The first thing on your new coach's agenda is meeting and talking to their future team. Your new coaches likely want to know you just as much as you want to know them and some things that they might be interested in is what made you stand out to the previous coaches and what makes you tick as a stand out athlete. What you need to do now is communicate with your new coaches and ask them some questions as well. You have already been through the recruiting process so put that experience into motion again–you should make it a priority to ask them what they look for in a recruit and a teammate, as every coach's take on a quality recruit is different. The more open and interested you are, the more receptive they will be to you. 

Related: 3 Tips to Help You Cope With a Coaching Change

3. Accept Reality 

Realize and accept that if you stay with the school that you have committed to, you'll have new coaches. You cannot do anything to change it, but that's not necessarily a bad thing! So don't be rude or defiant to them if they don't treat you like your previous coaches did. Every coach has their own style of communicating so do not expect them to do everything the same way as the previous coaches. You should be open to the way they communicate and conduct their team. 

4. Do Your Research 

Your new coaches will be doing extensive research on you, so why not do it on them? Research what schools they have coached at, what position they played in college, their accolades, and even past interviews (you can also check out their rating on the 2aDays website to see what current and former athletes have to say about the head coach if they have past experience). Because you have not developed the relationship you had with your previous coaches, research is an excellent way to learn more about your new coaches strengths, experience, expectations, and how they manage and develop their teams. 

Related: Losing an Offer to a Change in Coaching Staff

5. Perform 

In addition to the research your new coaches will be conducting on you, they will also be attending your games and competitions to evaluate your level of play. The new coaches need a general idea of who you are as a player, and they need to see if you will be a good fit for the team that they are trying to develop. You probably thought some of the pressure was over once you committed, but now you have to impress new coaches which can be intimidating! But remember: you were talented enough to be offered a scholarship in the first place and that hasn't changed. 

6. Explore

Even if you're set on your current college, you should continue to explore your options. If your new coach doesn't work for you and you eventually decide to leave school, you will need to think about what you want to do next. The questions you can ask yourself could be, “Would I enjoy being at my previous coaches' next school if they extend me an offer?”, “Are any of my previous offers still on the table and if so where would I like to go out of those options?”, “Will there be new options if I reopen my recruitment?”, “Did I fall in love with the coaches or the school?”, and “Could I give the new coaches a chance and transfer if it did not work out?” 

At the end of the day, the decision is up to you. Coaches are a huge aspect of picking a university considering you will be spending almost every day with them for the next four to five years. Recruits usually have developed a relationship with their respective coaches and want to feel confident in their decision  so a change in coaching staff could cause doubt in an athlete. Speak with your previous coaches, the new coaches, and your parents before deciding–it's a big decision, and you do not want to make the wrong choice for superficial reasons and temporary discomfort.

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* Originally published on January 16, 2023, by Caelyn Elwin