Tag Archive for: NCAA Coaching Changes and Transfers

Now that most Spring sport seasons have concluded, many coaching changes will be taking place.

For Division I athletes, a change in head coach may result in a change to an athlete’s scholarship situation – even in a situation where your athlete has a four-year “guaranteed” scholarship that can’t be reduced for athletic or medical reasons.

When a Division I university hires a new head coach, he or she may tell athletes currently on the team that they can continue attending their university until they graduate, but they won’t be allowed to play for or even be a member of that team in their remaining years.

This rule was originally intended to benefit athletes who were near the completion of their degree and were more interested in staying at their university to graduate than if they were to instead transfer to continue playing if a new coach were to cut them from the team.

However, we are seeing some newly hired head coaches use this rule against even freshman athletes who may have redshirted during their first year. In that case, many athletes will choose to transfer rather than give up their goal of playing at their current school in order to complete their degree.

Do you Need Advice?

If your athlete has been put in this situation and would like to discuss the options that they can consider to be fully informed and not make a rash decision, schedule a confidential Scholarship Strategies Consult online, contact us via e-mail at rick@informedathlete.com or call our office at 913-766-1235.

It’s common this time of year for us to be asked “If my coach is fired or resigns, does that give me a ‘free’ opportunity to transfer?”

In fact, Vanderbilt University and University of Illinois are a few of the schools who have recently announced football coaching changes.

This prompts me to remind readers that while a coaching change CAN potentially impact an athlete’s scholarship, a coaching change does NOT change the transfer rules.

An athlete must still follow the same steps to transfer and their eligibility will depend upon the same rules and academic requirements regardless of whether their team has had a coaching change.

At the NCAA Division I level, however, a coaching change can potentially have an impact on an athlete’s scholarship if the new coaching staff doesn’t see that athlete as a good fit for the program.

If you have questions about the transfer rules or about your athletic scholarship and want to discuss your athlete’s specific situation, schedule a confidential Transfer Consult or a Scholarship Strategies Consult. You can also send an email to rick@informedathlete.com or call us at 913-766-1235.

With some universities experiencing coaching changes as the academic year winds down, I thought it would be good to address some of the common questions we receive from athletes and families when that happens.

Does a coaching change give me a “free” transfer to another university?

A coaching change (whether the coach is fired or leaves of their own choosing) doesn’t change anything about the steps to follow in a transfer or about whether an athlete can be immediately eligible at their new college upon transfer.

However, there is an exception to this for certain sports in circumstances when a coach leaves during the summer after an incoming recruit has arrived on campus.

Does a coaching change affect my scholarship?

When a head coaching change occurs at the NCAA D1 level, it is possible for the new coach to deny a returning athlete a spot on the roster. The university would be required to continue the athlete’s scholarship as long as the athlete makes satisfactory progress toward their degree. However, if the athlete wishes to continue competing in their sport, they will need to transfer in order to do so.

Does a coaching change void my NLI commitment?

When a high school or junior college recruit signs a National Letter of Intent, they are signing with the university rather than with a particular coach. While some schools will grant an NLI release after a coaching change, that’s not always the case.

Do you have Questions?

If you have questions about a coaching change and how your athlete’s scholarship or eligibility might be affected, purchase and schedule a confidential Scholarship Strategies Consult online, or call us at 913-766-1235.

With the Fall seasons ending, there are a lot of coaching changes being announced in sports such as football, soccer, and volleyball. On just one day this week, I learned of a dozen different coaching changes in various NCAA Division I sports alone!

While a coaching change CAN potentially impact an athlete’s scholarship, a coaching change does NOT change the transfer rules.

An athlete must still follow the same steps to transfer and their eligibility will depend on the same rules and academic requirements regardless of whether their team has had a coaching change.

If you have questions about the steps and academic requirements for transferring from one college to another, schedule a confidential phone consult online, call us at 913-766-1235 or send me an email to rick@informedathlete.com