15 Good Questions to Ask College Coaches

March 31, 2025

Playing a sport in college is a serious endeavor. In many cases, the workload of a college athlete is comparable to that of a full-time job (which is why so many, including myself, believe that college athletes should be paid, and not just via NIH deals). According to , college athletes across all three divisions spend an average of 32 hours per week on athletics. That鈥檚 in addition to an average weekly academic workload of 37.5 hours. 67% of Division I athletes, 63% of Division II athletes, and 47% of Division III athletes say they spend more time on athletics than they do on academics. In other words: participating in college sports is a major undertaking. So it鈥檚 paramount for prospective student-athletes to have a list of questions to ask college coaches.

There鈥檚 another important dynamic for prospective student-athletes to consider: a potential conflict of interest between college coaches and their players. Since coaches鈥� jobs depend on winning, they鈥檙e incentivized to demand more of their players. Most college coaches, in fact, would be in favor of removing NCAA regulations supposed to limit the amount of time student-athletes can dedicate to their sport. The student-athletes, though, believe they鈥檙e overworked and are generally in favor of more restrictions on off-season athletic workload. A of a wide swath of student-athletes, college coaches, and administrators exposed this basic misalignment of interests. This dynamic also makes that list of questions to ask college coaches even more important for prospective student-athletes.

So what are the best questions to ask college coaches? Check out the list below.

15 Questions to Ask College Coaches

We’ve organized our list into three categories. Click the links below to jump to your preferred section:

Life as a Student Athlete
Academics
Recruiting and Admissions

Questions About Life as a Student Athlete

1) What does a day or week during the season look like for your student-athletes?

This is one of the most important questions to ask college coaches. The response should give you a more specific idea of what you鈥檙e committing to for the next 4 years of your life. How much time will you be spending doing sports-related activities on any given day鈥攚ill you be getting up early in the mornings for conditioning, staying at the gym well into the evenings, traveling frequently? Will sports interfere with holiday breaks? The answers to these questions are integral for any prospective NCAA athlete.

2) What does the offseason look like for a player?

One of the most essential questions to ask college coaches has to do with the offseason. Will time spent on sports dramatically decrease during the offseason, or should you still expect a rigorous sports-related workload? This is a crucial question for student-athletes as the answer here will define the college experience: will a student鈥檚 entire year be dominated by their sport, or only part of it?

3) How would you describe your coaching style?

In many ways, the recruitment process is like the hiring process鈥攁nd that dynamic goes both ways. So prospective student-athletes should be discerning interviewers. After all, a student-athlete鈥檚 head coach, coaching staff, teammates, and environment will undoubtedly be a huge part of his or her college life. Do you want a coach that is lax and delegates responsibility? Would you respond well to a coach who is a strict disciplinarian? The coach鈥檚 answer to this question could help you calibrate your expectations and figure out whether or not you鈥檇 actually enjoy playing under his or her leadership.

4) What are your team鈥檚 values?听

Another crucial question to ask a college coach that鈥檒l help you determine how, and how well, you鈥檇 fit into the fabric of the team. Some related questions along this line: what is team chemistry like? How often do conflicts between teammates occur? Do teammates spend time together outside of team-related activity?

5) What happens if I get injured?

The NCAA requires all student-athletes to have health insurance. However, that doesn鈥檛 mean that the school will cover a student鈥檚 medical costs if they sustain an on-the-field injury. Oftentimes when a student-athlete is injured, the parents have to cover the costs. So if you鈥檝e discussed the possibility of an athletic scholarship with the coach, it鈥檚 totally within bounds to ask if that scholarship would still apply if you miss part or all of a season due to injury.

6) What are the housing accommodations like?

Where you live is a big deal, which makes this one of the most important questions to ask college coaches. Some schools have requirements that stipulate that student-athletes live鈥攖ypically one year but sometimes all four鈥攐n campus. Is that the case for the schools you鈥檙e considering, or are student-athletes allowed to live off campus? If not, what are the dorms like? Do student-athletes live exclusively with other student-athletes, or do they live with the rest of the student body? Getting answers here will help you align your preferences with the school鈥檚 offerings.

Questions to Ask College Coaches About Academics

7)What are the academic expectations for student-athletes on your team?

One of the most important questions to ask college coaches for prospective student-athletes has to do with academic expectations. The answer to this question will say a lot about how much importance is given to the academic side of your college experience. It鈥檒l also give you concrete information on things such as GPA requirements for student-athletes. Now seems like an appropriate time to mention that less than 2% of NCAA athletes turn pro. In other words: the academic side of the college experience is of the utmost importance. The answer to this question is therefore crucial.

8) What is the team鈥檚 GPA?听

A pretty straightforward question to ask a college coach, the answer will tell you a lot about how the student-athletes themselves manage academics. Are your teammates thriving academically, or struggling? What value does the team as a whole place on academic achievement? Are academics a first-order, or secondary, concern for the team?

9) How do your players balance academics with athletics?

The answer here will give you an idea of how your future teammates are contending with the dual burden of sports and academics. Do players report having difficulty balancing academics and athletics? Is your prospective coach in tune with the academic demands of his or her players? Do teammates support one another in their academic pursuits? All college athletes contend with this issue, so it鈥檚 one of the most important questions to ask a college coach.

10) What academic support is available to student-athletes?

This is one of the most important questions to ask a college coach as the answers here will vary widely depending on the school and support. Many schools offer additional academic support services for student-athletes. These resources can include mandatory study hours, academic advisors, and tutors. Some schools even offer support from the professors directly, who work with students to make up work they missed when traveling for the sport. As with the other questions to ask college coaches, the answer here can help you to determine if a program is right for you. Are student-athletes expected to manage their academic workloads on their own, or are there resources in place to help?听

Questions to Ask College Coaches About Recruiting and Admissions

11) What is the application process like?

It鈥檚 important to remember that a written or verbal offer from a coach does not guarantee you a spot at the school. Even if you鈥檝e received an offer from a coach, you still have to go through the regular admissions process. Your prospective coach can advise you on things like minimum GPA requirements, test scores, and deadlines. You can also find out if your coach will have the opportunity to review or provide feedback on your application before they submit it. Plus, the coach could have advice that鈥檇 give your application an edge.

12) What are you looking for in a new recruit?

The answer to this question will help you find out what your coach is looking for, and whether or not you鈥檒l be a good fit on the team. What are the coach鈥檚 expectations and goals for the team this year? Is the team coming off of an amazing season or a horrible one? Did they lose a number of starting seniors this offseason? Do they have a specific need for any positions? Asking this question might also give you an indication of how much playing time you鈥檙e likely to get, especially in your freshman or sophomore years.

13) How many other students are you recruiting for my position, and where do I rank on the list of possible recruits?

Technically this is two questions, but they go hand-in-hand. The answer here will help you gauge the likelihood of your admittance into the school, and the amount of playing time you鈥檇 get if you are accepted.

14) Why should I pick your program over any other schools that are recruiting me?

This is your chance to let your potential coach pitch you on the merits of his or her team. What can the coach and his or her team offer you? An amazingly supportive environment? Great camaraderie? A once-in-a-lifetime chance to compete for divisional or national championships? Personal development in specific areas? The potential answers here are endless, and it鈥檚 a question that every prospective student-athlete should ask a coach.

15) How can I prepare myself for life as a student-athlete?

听This is one of the best questions to ask a college coach because it expresses an active interest in performing well, both academically and athletically. It鈥檚 also super practical. Your coach could have extremely valuable insight on how best to prepare for your first season as a college athlete. And you can use that insight to make your transition from high school to college that much more frictionless. For example: there might be camps, offered by the school, where you can get feedback and be evaluated by their staff.

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Dane Gebauer

Dane Gebauer is a writer and teacher living in Miami, FL. He received his MFA in fiction from Columbia University, and his writing has appeared in Complex Magazine and Sinking City Review.

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