🎧 There Is a Place for You | Jordan Willis on Recruiting, Fit & Communication

🏐 Florida Tech Head Volleyball Coach Jordan Willis returns for Part II of his conversation with Matt Rogers, and this time the focus shifts to recruiting.

But this isn't a conversation about rankings, stars, or chasing the biggest name on the front of a jersey.

Instead, Jordan shares his thoughts on character, authenticity, communication, fit, self-awareness, and why there truly is a place for every student-athlete who wants to continue playing at the next level.

Throughout the episode, Coach Willis discusses what he looks for beyond talent, why culture matters in recruiting, how coaches identify red flags, why recruits should never ghost college coaches, and how honest communication can open doors rather than close them.

The conversation also explores one of the biggest challenges facing recruits today: understanding who they are, what they want, and finding the college experience that truly fits their academic, athletic, social, and financial goals.

Whether you're a recruit, parent, club coach, high school coach, or college coach, this episode offers practical advice and valuable perspective on navigating the recruiting process.

Topics Include:
✅ Finding the Right College Fit
✅ What College Coaches Look For Beyond Talent
✅ Character, Culture & Recruiting
✅ Why Recruits Should Never Ghost Coaches
✅ Communication During the Recruiting Process
✅ Self-Awareness & Decision Making
✅ Transfer Portal & Modern Recruiting
✅ There Is a Place for You

🎧 Listen to all episodes at coachmattrogers.com/podcast

📺 Watch at YouTube.com/@CoachMattRogers

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Did you like what you heard and want more?
New Podcasts every week. Remember to subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts. Don't forget to leave a comment or recommend your favorite athlete, coach or leader to be on the show!

📆 To Schedule Matt Rogers to speak at your school or organization, you can schedule a discovery Zoom session here: https://calendly.com/mrogers_significantcoaching/speaking-inquiry-w-matt-rogers

📚 Books & Recruit’s Journals by Matt Rogers

Significant Recruiting: The Playbook for Prospective College Athletes
👉 https://amzn.to/3NbWP9S

Recruit’s Journal Series (Sport-Specific Editions):

⚽ Soccer Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/3M4PFDX

🏐 Volleyball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4qMLr2S

🏀 Basketball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4bxljEJ

⚾ Baseball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/3ZGbCMQ

...

🏐 Building Winners Without Losing Yourself | Jordan Willis, Florida Tech Volleyball

Jordan Willis, Head Volleyball Coach at NCAA Division II Florida Tech, joins Matt Rogers for one of the most enjoyable and insightful conversations of the year.

After leading the Panthers from a 9-win season in 2023 to a 20-win campaign and one of the best conference records in program history in 2024, Willis shares the leadership principles, culture-building strategies, and people-first philosophy that are helping transform Florida Tech Volleyball into one of the Sunshine State Conference's rising programs.

In Part I, Coach Willis discusses rebuilding programs, developing All-Americans, creating sustainable success, navigating adversity, and why authentic leadership matters more than ever in college athletics.

Whether you're a coach, athletic director, teacher, parent, or leader in any profession, this conversation is packed with practical lessons on building teams and developing people.

✅ Program Building
✅ Leadership & Culture
✅ Developing All-Americans
✅ Team Standards & Accountability
✅ Sustainable Success
✅ College Athletics Leadership

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

📍 All resources also available at coachmattrogers.com

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeartRadio, and all your favorite podcast platforms.

Did you like what you heard and want more?
New Podcasts every week. Remember to subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts. Don't forget to leave a comment or recommend your favorite athlete, coach or leader to be on the show!

📆 To Schedule Matt Rogers to speak at your school or organization, you can schedule a discovery Zoom session here: https://calendly.com/mrogers_significantcoaching/speaking-inquiry-w-matt-rogers

📚 Books & Recruit’s Journals by Matt Rogers

Significant Recruiting: The Playbook for Prospective College Athletes
👉 https://amzn.to/3NbWP9S

Recruit’s Journal Series (Sport-Specific Editions):

⚽ Soccer Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/3M4PFDX

🏐 Volleyball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4qMLr2S

🏀 Basketball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4bxljEJ

⚾ Baseball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/3ZGbCMQ

...

🏐🎧 Why Recruits Should Visit Colleges More Than Once | April Elsbernd

How many college visits should a recruit take before making a commitment?

According to Coe College Head Volleyball Coach April Elsbernd, probably more than one.

In Part II of our conversation, Coach Elsbernd shares her recruiting philosophy and explains why finding the right college fit requires more than a quick visit and a fast decision. We discuss culture fit, evaluating potential teammates, communicating with college coaches, the realities of club volleyball, and the important role parents and high school coaches play throughout the recruiting process.

Coach Elsbernd also provides practical advice for recruits on how to stand out in their communication with college coaches and why authenticity matters far more than mass-produced recruiting emails.

Topics Discussed:

✅ Why recruits should visit colleges multiple times
✅ The importance of meeting current players
✅ What college coaches look for beyond athletic ability
✅ How to write better emails to college coaches
✅ Club volleyball myths and realities
✅ Advice for parents navigating recruiting
✅ The role of high school coaches in recruiting
✅ Why culture fit matters

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

📍 All resources also available at coachmattrogers.com

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeartRadio, and all your favorite podcast platforms.

Did you like what you heard and want more?
New Podcasts every week. Remember to subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts. Don't forget to leave a comment or recommend your favorite athlete, coach or leader to be on the show!

📆 To Schedule Matt Rogers to speak at your school or organization, you can schedule a discovery Zoom session here: https://calendly.com/mrogers_significantcoaching/speaking-inquiry-w-matt-rogers

📚 Books & Recruit’s Journals by Matt Rogers

Significant Recruiting: The Playbook for Prospective College Athletes
👉 https://amzn.to/3NbWP9S

Recruit’s Journal Series (Sport-Specific Editions):

⚽ Soccer Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/3M4PFDX

🏐 Volleyball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4qMLr2S

🏀 Basketball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4bxljEJ

⚾ Baseball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/3ZGbCMQ

...