What College Coaches Actually Want to See in Your Intro Email

By Brandi Jackson | Brandi Jackson Golf

I have been sharing responses from a survey I conducted asking college coaches to weigh in on some of the most important questions in the recruiting process. Every coach is different — they look for different things and have varying opinions — but what follows represents the most common and consistent themes from their responses.

This week’s question continues from last week:

Are there specific things within a resume, video, or initial email that you always like to see? Certain formats? Things you do not want or need to see?

This one is practical, specific, and something every junior golfer and her family needs to read before sending a single thing to a college coach. Because the details matter — and coaches notice every single one of them.

YOUR INITIAL EMAIL — Short, Personal, and Intriguing

The initial email is your first impression — and coaches are receiving hundreds of them. What you say and how you say it in that first email can be the difference between a coach opening your attachments and moving on without a second look.

The coaches were very clear about what they want — and what they do not.

Keep It Short
This came up more than almost anything else. Long emails do not get read. As one coach said honestly: “Sometimes I get wordy emails, and I just cannot keep my attention long enough to hang in there to view everything.”

Your initial email should be concise, compelling, and make the coach want to open your resume and video — not contain everything about you in the body of the email itself.

As one coach put it perfectly: “In the initial email do not give everything away so when we get on a call we have more to talk about.”

Make It Personal to Their Program
This is one of the most important things you can do — and one of the easiest ways coaches can tell if you sent a mass email to every school in the country.

“Make it personal to the school — something like ‘I saw the team finished fifth last week at…’ goes a long way. It shows you are following the team, and coaches can tell when you send a mass email.”

Take the time to mention something specific about each program you reach out to. Name the coach. Reference a recent result. Mention something about the school that genuinely excites you. It takes a few extra minutes but it makes a world of difference.

Include the Key Information
While keeping it short, make sure your email includes enough to make the coach want to learn more:

✔️ Your graduation year
✔️ A brief highlight of your most recent results
✔️ Your top achievements, attributes, and important insight about your as an athlete, student and person
✔️ A link to your resume and swing video
✔️ Your upcoming tournament schedule
✔️ Why you are interested in THEIR specific school and program

Show Some Personality
Several coaches mentioned wanting to see personality and genuine excitement come through in emails. You are not just sending a data sheet — you are introducing yourself as a person. Let that come through. As one coach said: “I like it when recruits show some personality and excitement.”

Putting It All Together

Here is a quick reference summary of what coaches want — and what they do not:

ALWAYS INCLUDE:
✅ Tournament scores with yardages — most recent first
✅ All results — good and bad
✅ GPA and academic information
✅ Full speed swing video — down the line and face on
✅ Upcoming tournament schedule
✅ A personal touch specific to their program
✅ Trackman data if available

NEVER INCLUDE:
🚩 Slow-motion-only videos
🚩 Finish positions without actual scores
🚩 Excuses about weather or course conditions
🚩 Long, wordy emails that bury the key information
🚩 Videos filmed in non-golf clothes
🚩 Too many videos or an overly produced highlight reel
🚩 Mass emails that are clearly not personalized

The bottom line is this — coaches are busy, they are evaluating dozens of recruits at a time, and they are looking for reasons to keep reading, not reasons to move on. Give them what they need, make it easy to find, and let your game and your personality do the rest.

That combination will always stand out.

Brandi Jackson is the RecruitPKB College Consultant and the founder of Brandi Jackson Golf. Her mission: Helping Young Women Find Their College Golf Home.

To learn more or schedule your free 30-minute consultation visit [LINK] or reach out at [brandi@brandijacksongolf.com].