How to Write Your First Email to a College Coach

Your first step in the recruiting process

If you’re serious about playing college football, one of the most important things you can do is reach out to coaches yourself. Not your parents. Not a recruiter. You.

Coaches want to hear from athletes who take initiative. Your first email isn’t about sending your highlight video or trying to get an offer — it’s just about one thing:

🎯 Finding out who recruits your area.

Most schools divide up recruiting by state or region, not by position. That means the tight ends coach might handle all recruits in Texas — even if you’re a linebacker. So before you start pitching yourself, you need to know who the right coach is.

Step-by-Step: Writing Your First Email

✅ Subject Line

Keep it simple:

Subject: University of Michigan

Nothing fancy. The coach should know what your email is about at a glance.

✅ Greeting

Start with:

Coach [Last Name]

Use their title — it shows respect and attention to detail.

✅ Personal Opening Line

Stand out by saying something specific about the coach or their team.

Examples:

• “Congrats on the win over Penn State last weekend — big game!”
• “Saw that you just wrapped up your 5th season at Oregon — that’s awesome.”

You can find this info on the team’s website, their X (Twitter) account, or a quick Google search.

✅ Ask the Area Coach Question

This is the real point of the email:

“Coach, I’m trying to find out who recruits my area — I’m from [City, State]. Could you point me in the right direction?”

Short and direct.

✅ Sign-Off Based on Your Grade

If you're younger than June 15 before your junior year:

Just sign your name.

If you're older than that:

Sign your name and include a link to your highlight video.

Example:

Thanks,
James Carter
[HUDL link here]

What Happens Next

Most coaches won’t reply to the first message. That’s normal.

📅 Follow Up One Week Later

Just reply to your original email with something simple:

“Hi Coach, just following up on my email from last week. Would appreciate any help figuring out who recruits my area. Thanks again!”

Most replies come after this follow-up — not the first email.

Other Ways to Reach Out

If you want to move faster, try one of these:

• 📞 Call the coach — Signing Day has phone numbers for most schools. It takes confidence, but it’s quicker.
• 💬 DM on X (Twitter) — Use the same format as your email, but keep it short and respectful.

Final Tip

Sending emails (and following up) takes time, but it works. This is how you take control of your recruiting process.

The goal isn’t to impress a coach with one email — it’s to start building a relationship.

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