College coach contacted me. Love the school - not sure about him

If you like the school.... just go there and be a student. You can run club. Those are horrible horrible horrible marks. Freshman develop better than that just about anywhere. What school was this?

There are more fish in the sea. Move on.

A coach does not make or break any athlete. Athletes do that all on their own. Does this team love alcohol? Love a good party? Maybe they don't work hard. There was a time not too long ago when an athlete had the most faith in their OWN ABILITY. The ability to figure it out, put the pieces together, make the sacrifices, commit to the work. The coach was a secondary part of the equation. Now athletes expect coaches to be miracle workers, to simply show up, obey and win championships. The amount of emails sent to colleges that say "if i only had a coach..." a great man once said, take track out of the equation, then go the school you like the most. You could catch a stray brick in the streets, then track means nothing for you in a heartbeat, but you'd still be enrolled at that school. The coach present could be fired, die, or quit the day you commit, maybe you help the guy become a better coach? Maybe your success spurs the future of the program, What can you bring to the program? The program will give you NOTHING for free except an opportunity........Now if you were running 3:58/8:40 your wants and needs may change a bit.

unless you are literally graduated just now, this post reads fake or misguided. a graduated senior would have a choice to make and his options are what they are -- imperfect or not. you pick the best one.

but otherwise, it's june, a D3 can't offer you money or make you sign a NIL. you presumably have not applied and they have not admitted you and asked for a decision by a date. this is just a school you have talked to where you like the academics but aren't sure about the sports team. why are you acting like you are faced with some imminent choice?

if you're not sure about this school, heck, this should be the research phase anyway. your mile time might get you in some weak D1 as a walkon, but otherwise basically D3. research weaker D1 and D3 with similar or better good academics. in places you like. with majors you want. at prices you need. don't take this wrong but small colleges with track teams and good academics are many. put differently, i am pretty sure you have not found the only good academic school that has a track team to compare around. so find a bunch of others, engage their coaches. you then have competition for the imperfect school. if some other school looks better, you go with it instead. duh. as the guy said, other fish in the sea, no need to decide now. at his level he's not offering you a full or likely any scholarship. why are you panicking. all the coaches will be like, go here. your job is to wait until it's right and make a decision, don't let anyone rush you.

that being said, if you like the school and it has track, my suggestion is, put it on a list as an option. it is a school that wants you. that can be either a viable option or leverage for the next place. if it's your favorite and you do early decision, apply. if you're not sure, wait and see. if you have the fee budget to apply to x number schools, see in 6 months if it ranks high enough in your heart to be worthy of the application fee. in 6 months you might have 10 schools you like better. or you might decide you were harsh when you see how you get along with and fit in the next places. so i'd just stick their stuff in a folder and their name on a list, chat with the coach if he calls, noncommital, and then see how your decision goes.

but i'd really be researching schools now and not stuck on any one. and to me D3 and the back end of D1 are full of schools with good academics and varied sports quality. seek out one that fits even better. and when doing so, develop a list. come up with several, and i mean as many as 20, ideas. you don't know how schools will react and you should start broad, and winnow down. broad will also help you figure out what it is you really want, as you compare one to the other, and perhaps visit. oh, i really like coastal, or mountain, or rural, or city, or bigger, or smaller, better track team, or who cares. this one has my major, this one doesn't.

Is this school in NorCal?

also, you must be confusing "sticker" price and "drive out." since you wouldn't know the financial aid offer until next year when you submit a FAFSA and get an offer letter from each college, your financial comparisons are based on sticker prices. my experience you can have 3 fairly similar academic schools similar on sticker price and get wildly varying scholarship and financial offers. you need to be mindful of cost, but depending on your income, some schools like ivies charge no tuition below an income number. others meet 100% without loans. others meet 100% need with loans.

so sticker matters but be mindful of the statistic "% need met" as well as whether they are one of these schools that either don't do loans or reduce price based on income.

My guess is San Antonio

You mean that place where "coach" is thinking uppermost about "your sexual life and financial future"

If running is important, probably not a great choice because the team is not serious. Better to go to your D1 state school and save money and run club.

This sounds IDEAL! Where can i sign up???? 🤤🤭

Don't raise it with the coach. That's obnoxious. ("Hey, I've noticed your athletes are all getting worse. Care to comment?") Plus you wouldn't get a useful answer from him anyway.

I would look harder at the team's history: how have the juniors and seniors done compared to high school? Feels like you need to look at the longer-term record. Also, if you really like the school, plan to take a visit and talk to the athletes about it, i.e., what's training like, what do they think of the coach, etc etc.

At the end of the day, if running is important to you -- and if you're not sacrificing academics in any significant way because, let's face it, you're not going to be a pro/olympic runner -- then there's nothing wrong with making running part of your college decision. And it may turn out that another college has a better mix of academics/running than this one does.

If running is one of your priorities in college then don't go there if you have other options. A good coach and team are important.

Is this a hit job? Is this Davis??

An imaginary school in SA.

See if you can set up a phone call with 1-2 distance runners on the team (preferably majoring in something close to what you plan to study) and talk to them about their experiences with the college in general, their classes (in their major), and the experience with the coach and how they (and their teammates) have progressed from HS to college.

Do an official visit fall of senior year. Get a sense for the team, their attitudes, classes, etc. Watch a practice, ask the coach to explain how he would adjust your training from your current training to what he's doing with the team.

Always choose a school you'd like being at regardless of running.

I would look at juniors and seniors if the same coach was there when they arrived. Freshman have so many pressures and changes that year that you may not see any progression. What have the upper classmen done since their arrival? Progression isn't linear and it's over time. Good luck with your decision!

If it's not an Ivy or similar, don't go

It can't be. They don't have any Freshmen guys that fast.