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Knowing how college coaches recruit and what they are looking for can make the process less intimidating for prospects.

Our “Recruiting Insider” series features coaches from across the nation sharing their methods of how they identify, scout and communicate with potential recruits.

Today, we hear from Air Force men’s coach Dan Oosterhous:

What are your primary methods of recruiting?

I use all available resources I can to search for the right players. I look at rankings and UTR and reach out to players that are in our target range. I travel to tournaments to watch players compete. I also spend lots of time on the phone with recruits and coaches and watch a lot of video if I can get my hands on it. Once I’ve found a person that I believe could be a good fit for our program, I do a home visit so I can get to know the recruit, their family and their coach better.

How do you interact with recruits and what information should they provide?

My first interaction is typically through a text or email to set up a phone call. On this call, I find out how much they know about the Air Force Academy and start to fill in the gaps, or address some of the misperceptions that are common about our school. Early in the recruiting process, I need to get as much info as possible about a recruit’s academic background, so having access to your transcript is very important.