Dan McHale—former D1 head coach at Eastern Kentucky and long-time assistant under Rick Pitino, Tubby Smith, and Kevin Willard—joins Cory Heitz to pull back the curtain on what college coaches actually look for in recruits. From his start as a student manager at Kentucky during their 1998 national title run, to coaching in the Big East, Big Ten, and Mountain West, Dan’s career is packed with insider knowledge.

In this episode, Dan shares what really matters when trying to land a D1 scholarship, why relationships are everything, and how families should think about prep school, JUCO, and international players in today’s landscape. You’ll hear how recruiting boards work behind closed doors, what qualities walk-ons need to succeed, and why some D2 or D3 paths might be better in the long run.

For families navigating the college basketball journey, this episode delivers blunt, practical advice from someone who has lived it at every level.

💡 KEY TOPICS

📌 How college coaches evaluate recruits behind the scenes
📌 Building and leveraging relationships in basketball recruitment
📌 Truth about walk-ons, transfers, and D1 expectations
📌 Starting a placement company to help kids navigate recruiting
📌 Importance of prep school, JUCO, and academic fit
📌 The role of exposure events in 2025 and beyond

🏀 About Dan McHale:

Dan McHale is a former Division I head coach at Eastern Kentucky University and has served as an assistant at Kentucky, Louisville, Seton Hall, Minnesota, and New Mexico. With over two decades of experience at every level of college basketball, Dan now co-runs Collegiate Recruitment Consultants (CRC), helping student-athletes get placed at D1, D2, D3, and JUCO programs.

🔗 Connect with Dan McHale:

X | https://x.com/CoachMcHale
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/dmchale01/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/mchale_basketball_academy

🔗 Connect with Cory:

Website | https://www.prepathletics.com
Twitter | https://twitter.com/PREP_Athletics
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/prep.athletics/
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/PrepAthletics
Email | coryheitz@gmail.com
Phone | 859-317-1166

🔖 Subscribe to the PREP Athletics Podcast:

iTunes | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/prep-athletics-podcast/id1546265809?uo=4
Spotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/6CAKbXFiIOhoHinzsReYbJ
Amazon | https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3c37179d-3371-47f9-9d97-fd569e8802a7/prep-athletics-basketball-podcast #AmazonMusic