What College Coaches Are Really Looking For – A Recruiting Talk with Paul Svagdis of Westmont College

In this week’s Significant Recruiting episode, Matt Rogers is joined by Westmont College Head Baseball Coach Paul Svagdis, a veteran leader with over 850 career wins and nearly 30 years of experience across NCAA Division III, NAIA, and now Division II.

Coach Svagdis breaks down exactly what he looks for in a recruit—from mindset and resilience to how a player responds to adversity. He shares why Stephen Vogt, now the manager of the Cleveland Guardians, stands as a prime example of the kind of athlete he wants in his program.

You’ll also hear advice on how to stand out in the recruiting process, how coaches evaluate character, and the importance of humility, consistency, and leadership potential.

🎯 Whether you're a student-athlete, parent, or coach, this episode is packed with practical insight to help guide your recruiting journey.

📚 Ready to take control of your college recruitment?

 Visit CoachMattRogers.com to get your copy of Significant Recruiting: The Playbook for Prospective College Athletes and the new Recruit’s Journal—your week-by-week guide to staying organized, confident, and college-ready.

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📆 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

🥎 Softball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4qd4PFp

📍 All resources also available at coachmattrogers.com

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