College Baseball News Letter

What Questions Will a College Coach Ask

Your High School Coach?

UAB Assistant Head Coach Doug Kovash (left) and Head Coach Brian Shoop evaluating players.

Wouldn't you like to know ahead of time what kind of questions college coaches are going to ask your high school coach about you? This week we have an inside look at the conversations that go on between college and high school coaches when discussing players.

University of Alabama-Birmingham assistant head coach Doug Kovash is also in charge of recruiting for the Blazers. "Coach K" as he is known, has been assigned a very big job by head coach Brian Shoop - to recruit players that will allow UAB to be competitive in the very strong Conference USA. Last year the conference had 3 nationally ranked members in Houston, East Carolina, and of course perennial powerhouse Rice. And Coach K must know what he's doing, because in only their 2nd year since taking over at UAB baseball, the Blazers upset the Rice Owls in the first round of the Conference USA post-season tournament.

I caught up with Coach K last week and asked him if he would share with us some of these questions he usually asks high school or JUCO coaches about players he is considering for scholarship offers to UAB. As is the norm for Coach K and the whole UAB staff, he was very gracious and accommodating. He provided us with 15 questions he might ask about a hypothetical recruit named "Adam". You might want to ask yourself what your high school coach would say about you when asked the questions below:

1) Tell me about “Adam”.

2) Rank his work ethic relative to your best all time.

3) Describe “Adam’s” character. What kinds of problems do you or have you had with him A)on the field, B)off the field

4) What kind of leader is “Adam”?

5) What is “Adam” involved in other than baseball?

6) Is he coachable? Describe a time he revealed this to you.

7) Statistically, what kind of year(s) has he had for you? Did he accomplish this vs good competition, avg teams, or poor ones?

8) Has he hit his physical ceiling? Will he continue to grow, getting stronger, etc?

9) What kind of person are we getting if we sign him?

10) How does he compare with A)Our current players? B)UAB Alumni? C)Best players in your area/league/state? D)CONF USA players?

11) Tell me about “Adam’s” faith, religious background, etc.

12) Would he be open to joining a program that honors Christ as its #1 goal?

13) Tell me about “Adam’s” parents? Family? Etc.

14) What kind of teammate is “Adam”?

15) How does he treat the “little people” in his path he walks every day?

Coach Kovash says, "Normally, I spend time with the coach telling him our recruiting needs prior to the questioning – so most of the conversation is spent narrowing that player into the recruiting match we are looking for. Cuts down on the time needed to decide if he is a fit or not!! Hope this helps!!"

I think you will agree that it helps a lot! Thank you to Coach K for the valuable information. Now I hope that you are able to use it in how you practice, prepare, and play so that your coach will give all the right answers when asked.

If you found this article useful and would like lots more information, techniques, and lessons on how to get into college baseball - including real progress in 48 hours or less, visit us at:

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