Nobody Saw This Coming!

Recruiting Horror Story: Coach Quits After Freshman Year

By Grant Osborne|Updated on June 27, 2023 (originally published on May 24, 2022)

Come back every Tuesday for Recruiting Horror Stories™, athletes' first-hand stories on what can go wrong during the recruiting process.

During your recruiting process, choosing a compatible coach is a huge priority for recruits. But what happens when the coach quits after you commit to them? We interviewed an athlete about her experience of losing her head coach that played a big part in her choosing her school. Our anonymous athlete is a middle hitter for her women's volleyball team who, after her freshman year, was really excited for the following season…until her coach suddenly left.

Why Volleyball?

This athlete had been playing volleyball for years before she made the decision she wanted to play at the collegiate level. Volleyball gave her an outlet that served as a distraction for everything else going on in her life. This is common for many athletes who have stressors going on: sports can act as a healthy escape from the rest of the world.

For this athlete, volleyball also brought a special level of excitement when she played. After every winning point she gets a shot of adrenaline that is almost addicting. A big kill or a monster block kept her coming back for more. This level of excitement was something she didn't want to go away after high school which is why she decided to play in college.

Why Her College?

Her recruiting process with her current college started when the former head volleyball coach emailed her asking for dates and times of her games and tournaments. The head coach sent his assistant to come watch her play and after seeing her high level of play they told her they wanted her to be a part of their program. She then went on to tour the campus, did an overnight with the team, and had multiple meetings with the coaches. Her coach was very adamant about her wanting to come and play for him and nearly begged her to commit. Due to his passion and interest in her, she decided to join his program.

The Quitting

The summer going into her sophomore year began with a blind side hit: the head coach that she had grown so close with (and was one of the biggest reasons she chose the school) quit! Preseason was weeks away and they were without a coach until a week before their first game when the team received a new head coach as well as a new assistant coach. Going into the season the team had high hopes that they'd be able to win despite the challenges and setbacks they encountered weeks before the season.

Unfortunately this was easier said than done.

New Coach

The volleyball player and her teammates would soon find out that their new coach had never even played volleyball and his only coaching experience was as a volunteer at a community college. The team immediately became hesitant with his coaching style and tactics since he was so inexperienced. The players never received feedback from him on how to get better when they came off the court. As a coach, he focused on repetition instead of honing in on aspects of player's games that specifically needed to be worked on. This makes sense for a coach that has very little experience, but is nonetheless unfair to the athletes.

Since this volleyball player's love of the game goes farther than just winning and losing, she will continue to play and support her teammates in any way she can. Hopefully the team comes out a little stronger next season with a little more experience on their side.

Have a horror story of your own? Email us at [email protected]