July 2012
11 posts
1 tag
My son was an outstanding baseball and basketball...
I think it is taken into account, for sure. A coach loves to see quick improvement. Still, they would want to see that improvement continue to make a substantial offer. Great scores are the best way to guarantee a coach will want you in the program.
Ask me anything
1 tag
When you recruit, do you look at the climate, type...
We look at everything. I don’t like excuses, but it is certainly understandable when someone has trouble the first time they play in new conditions. Their ability to adjust to different places would actually be a great attribute. We play all over the country and Regionals and NCAA Championships are in many different places so finding a player that plays well in various regions may be more...
1 tag
If someone is shooting in the high 70's and they...
It never hurts to put your name out there so they know who the recruit is when he/she does win those tournaments. Coaches like to see improvement.
Ask me anything
1 tag
If a coach that knows you have committed somewhere...
Absolutely. I think you should also tell the coach that is pestering you to back off as well.
Ask me anything
1 tag
Say I have built a relationship with a coach. I...
No. Because of a pre-existing relationship between you and the coach that is outside of the recruiting process you can maintain that relationship with the coach.
Ask me anything
1 tag
Can a coach reduce a scholarship due to poor...
Some schools do this. Some don’t.
Ask me anything
1 tag
How binding are verbal commitments?
Verbal commitments are not legally binding in any way. Until recent years it was very rare for other coaches to continue recruiting those that have already made verbal commitments. As such, few people changed their minds after a verbal commitment. Recently, some coaches have been much more aggressive with recruits that made verbal commitments elsewhere. In football and basketball this is...
1 tag
Is there an annual try-out for walk ons for the UW...
Yes. Husky Tees at Washington National. Under 295 over four rounds. The qualifier is in September.
Ask me anything
June 2012
37 posts
1 tag
How much would the cost come to if i atteneded a...
You can find the costs of attendance for any school on their website. Go to the specific website and search for “Cost of “Attendance.” It will almost always take you to a simple breakdown of costs that factors in all possible expenses.
Depending on if it is in-state or out-of-state the costs are very different. Generally, private schools cost more as well, but I just...
1 tag
I know your not a fan of Div III players...
If you have a release you can contact the coach of another program. Know that you are not allowed to contact another program without a release already being sent from the one athletics dept to the other. Sometimes people send me emails or call about transferring. I can’t respond and won’t unless there is an actual release from the first school. A coach that does respond without a...
1 tag
Will DI coaches look down on a recruit if they...
It’s certainly okay to talk with the coaches even if the program is currently a little out of reach. I think the most important thing in that case would be to at least recognize it. Sometimes I am contacted passionately by those who are obviously not close to the level it takes to play in our particular program. If they don’t realize that I wonder if they did any homework at all. ...
1 tag
What is your take on the PGM (Pro golf Management)...
I really don’t know enough about it to have an opinion. Sorry
Ask me anything
1 tag
When a coach says he can offer you 60 percent is...
It would be of the total cost (tuition, fees, books, room and board) unless the coach is playing some verbal tricks. I can’t imagine anyone doing that. I would think any percentage mentioned would be as a percentage of the whole.
Some coaches will just offer a dollar amount. That allows them to actually slowly decrease the scholarship percentage as total cost of attendance and value of a...
1 tag
Thank you so much for making this blog, it has...
Great question!!! or comments. Thanks for the support on all of the above. Pan is very special, yes.
Ask me anything
1 tag
When your on the course during a tournament, do...
We do a little of each of the above. Lately I’ve had our Assistant Coach on the Par 3s and other key shots and I’ve walked more with one player for the whole round or a larger portion of the round. Different events and different courses change our strategy.
Ask me anything
1 tag
So if you have already sent your full letter of...
I think just let them know you are following up on the previous letter. Tell them you are very interested in them and that you are interested in knowing if they are interested in you too. I think you can be simple and direct. Just ask them if they are interested.
Ask me anything
1 tag
Do you view match play tournaments differently...
Yes, but I don’t really know how to explain. Now with both formats being a part of the NCAA Championships we have to take Match Play and Stroke Play into serious consideration.
Ask me anything
1 tag
Upon arriving at Udub, what was the culture you...
This is a really long answer, but the simple version is this: We want a family-like culture where all the people are striving for greatness on and off the course. We want to go for big goals together, help each other reach them, have a great time together, and make sure it is the best four years of all our guys’ lives. We value the total experience which includes golf, school, social,...
1 tag
Coach Thurmond I really enjoy your blog! I would...
Thanks so much! Your question got cut off. When you ask it, please be general and I’ll answer the best I can.
From what is there I think you are asking about transferring from DIII to DI. Coaches don’t really recruit from other colleges. It isn’t appropriate or within the rules. Transfers happen, but they absolutely must be initiated by the student.
If the ultimate goal...
1 tag
I just ended my junior year and have never talked...
Yes. You should be doing anything you can to get in touch with coaches at schools that could be a good fit for you. You should do much more than fill out the questionnaires too. You should be carefully identifying the schools you are most interested in attending and then contact them in a personal way. That can be by phone or email or a visit to their campus. You should get moving.
Ask...
1 tag
what tournaments will you be at this summer
That is an always changing answer. I don’t really want to answer because it may turn out to be different than what I say now. We focus more on recruiting certain people than certain events. While there are several places we usually end up recruiting, it changes depending on who we are watching.
Ask me anything
1 tag
Do all schools only look for kids that want to...
They will definitely look at him and he’ll have plenty of opportunities if he is good enough. Even within DI schools the expectations and competitive level is very different across the broad spectrum of programs.
Most golfers say they want to play the PGA Tour. A much smaller group actually means it deep inside of themselves. They usually find that out once they get to college and...
1 tag
Hi Coach! What would be the chance of oversea...
I think the chances would still be very good if the record is strong overseas. You would want to especially do a good job explaining your record to coaches. You need to show them what tournaments represent because we often don’t know much about the competitiveness of the events on an international resume depending on which country. There are certain events we all know about and if you do...
1 tag
What are the requirements to get a scholarship to...
There is not a list of requirements. I have control over those scholarships and I award them to those who most deserve them based on golf, academics, need, and other.
Ask me anything
1 tag
There is a lot of discussion about early...
The earliest I’ve offered is the summer after the 9th Grade year. That is much more the exception than the norm for me. Most offers nowadays seem to come late in the 10th grade year or sometime in the 11th grade year. I still make offers in the summer before the 12th grade year as well. I think my timing is similar to most coaches.
Ask me anything
1 tag
How is All American status determined? Also, how...
All-Americans are determined by a broad committee of coaches. The term for each person on the committee is six years. I’ve served on it myself.
Basically, the First Team All-Americans are the most deserving 10 players for that year. The Second Team is for the next 10 and the Third Team is for the following 10. That makes 30. The next 20 become Honorable Mention All-Americans. There...
1 tag
Would you rather recruit someone who struggles...
This is a philosophical conversation I have all the time. I think it is much easier to learn how to hit a ball well than to score. So, I like someone that scores, even if they score ugly. Many others would disagree with me on this. I just think golf is not the parts, but the ability to put the parts together to make a score. I think many confuse the parts of the sport with the sport. In the...
1 tag
When considering Canadian recruits do you consider...
I consider all the events on both sides of the border without any real preference.
Ask me anything
1 tag
How do you ask a coach in the correct way if they...
“Coach, are you sincerely interested in recruiting me?”
“Coach, where do I stack up in your priority of recruits?”
“Coach, I’m I the type of recruit you are interested in recruiting?”
“Coach, how does my resume stack up with the others you are recruiting?”
“Coach, what would you like me to do to be a recruit you are really excited...
1 tag
your 2012 recruits are struggling, correct?
Haha. Not all of them. They’ll be fine.
Ask me anything
1 tag
What is the benefit of committing early?
I think a benefit would be that the recruit locked up a spot at the place he wanted. Things change often and those spots aren’t available forever. So getting locked into a spot on the team is a good thing.
I also think it is nice to put the stress of the decision behind you so you can focus on preparing to be a great student-athlete. It can allow you to focus on being ready for it...
1 tag
Do you have a walk-on program or policy and how...
We have a walk on tournament every September with an opportunity for one person to earn the spot. It has been a few years since someone has made it, but we have had several contributing players in the past that have come through that qualifier. As coaches spend more time recruiting I think there are less walk ons making it onto teams through qualifiers. There are, however, more “recruited...
1 tag
Hi Coach, if I have a choice of playing in the...
That’s your call. I always attend the JR World and I’m usually joined by 40-50 coaches. We like the very diverse field and the challenging golf course. However, it’s your schedule and you have to make those decisions about what is best for you.
Ask me anything
1 tag
What is your strategy and philosophy on scheduling...
There are a few different things to consider when scheduling and I consider all of them: time between events, travel time, cost, quality of field, challenge of course, place that’s fun to go, tradition, etc.
Personally I try to play against the top teams in the country often. This year we had the 8th most difficult schedule. I also try to have a week off between all events if I can. It...
1 tag
We miss you!
Wasn’t sure if my daughters logged on to my blog and wrote this or not. Either way, they will see me a little more now, and I’ll be responding to questions much quicker here. Thanks!
Ask me anything
1 tag
Congratulations on what I hope you think was a...
Thanks! It’s always sad to end the season and finish short of the big goal to win it all, but we really had a great season and I’m very proud of the way the guys competed, improved, and represented their school. It was a great year.
Ask me anything
I'm Back
I’ve been disengaged from this blog lately. This is a busy time of year as we play in the NCAA Championships. It literally takes all my thoughts and energy. After we lost in the match play on Friday I had my usual stupor…”what do I think about now?” It takes me a couple of weeks to hit my stride in the summer.
I have a lot of questions waiting to be answered and...
