21: Why Coaches Ghost Your Emails (Part 1)

Why do college coaches really ghost athletes in their inbox? In Part 1 of this two-part deep dive, Susan and Jessie break down the hidden reasons athletes get ignored — straight from Jessie’s firsthand experience as a former D1 athlete and partner of a long-time D1 recruiting coordinator.From understanding a coach’s year-round workload to recognizing when your target list is too ambitious, this episode gives athletes and families the honest truth about why they’re not hearing back. You’ll learn what coaches actually look for when they open their inbox, how evaluations really happen, and how to assess whether your recruiting strategy is aligned or completely off-track.If your athlete is emailing and hearing nothing but silence, this episode will change the way you approach the process.Chapters00:00 – Welcome + intro to today’s topic01:00 – Meet Jessie and her transfer story 04:40 – What athletes don’t understand about coaching careers06:30 – How coaching responsibilities impact email response times10:30 – Why being “busy” is a very real factor in ghosting13:00 – The year-long recruiting and coaching cycle no one talks about16:00 – Why athletes think they’re being ignored17:00 – Reason 1: Missing key components in an email19:00 – Reason 2: Your highlight film isn't helping you22:00 – Reason 3: Asking for a call before you’ve earned it25:00 – Reason 4: You're emailing too early (and NCAA rules matter)27:45 – Reason 5: Top athletes still need to signal interest29:00 – Why coaches almost never call athletes who never emailed them30:40 – Different recruiting timelines for different divisions32:00 – Why two athletes with the same ability may hear back at different times33:30 – The mindset shift athletes need during ghostingConnect with Susan:Check out the website: www.nxtvb.comFollow on Instagram + TikTok: @hey.susankwww.rallysend.comLooking for a better way to stay organized and manage your recruiting? Check out www.rallysend.com—our go-to recruiting software for athletes, families, and clubs. It streamlines communication with college coaches, saves hours on recruiting outreach, and helps you stay ahead of the biggest challenge in the recruiting process: time.Use code HEYSUSAN to save $5/month on a monthly subscription or $50 off an annual plan.