Episode #143: Candace Moats on Recruiting

🎙️ 3-Peat Perspective: How Candace Moats Recruits for Championships That Last

How do you win a three-peat—and keep doing it without burning out your culture, your players, or yourself?

On Part 2 of this two-part series on the Significant Coaching Podcast, Matt Rogers continues the conversation with Candace Moats, Head Volleyball Coach at Indiana Wesleyan University, AVCA Coach of the Year, and leader of a program that has captured three consecutive NAIA National Championships.

This episode zeroes in on recruiting—and why sustained excellence starts long before a recruit ever steps on campus.

Coach Moats breaks down how her recruiting philosophy has evolved from chasing talent to prioritizing fit, joy, work ethic, and alignment. She shares why she refuses to manipulate recruits into saying yes, how she talks honestly about faith-based schools, what she listens for in conversations, and why the best recruiting decisions are the ones athletes make for themselves.

This is a must-listen for recruits, parents, and coaches who want clarity, honesty, and a recruiting process built on trust—not pressure.

🔗 Candace Moats Bio: https://iwuwildcats.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/coaches/candace-moats/777

🎧 Listen: CoachMattRogers.com
📺 Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@CoachMattRogers

Significant Recruiting Resources — Take the guesswork out of college recruiting with Significant Recruiting: The Playbook for Prospective College Athletes, sport-specific Recruit’s Journals, and the Significant Recruiting Launchpad. Practical tools to help families research schools, stay organized, and build a smarter recruiting strategy. Learn more at CoachMattRogers.com.

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On the latest edition of The Significant Coaching Podcast, a presentation of the coach Matt Rogers YouTube channel, and available audio everywhere you get your podcasts. I'm your host, Matt Rogers. This is part two of my conversation with Coach Candace Motz, head volleyball coach at Indiana Wesley University, A VCA Coach of the Year and a three time consecutive NAIA National champion. In part one, we talked culture, faith, leadership, and what it truly means to finish the race well, and Coach had me in tears with stories about her journey, finding what I call her North star in terms of the changes she's made and how she wants to lead her program. If you're not motivated to be a better coach, parent, athlete in person, after listening to Coach Moats, I'm not sure what to tell you. In part two, you're gonna feel the same things, but we shift the focus to recruiting. We break down how our recruiting philosophy has evolved from just getting the best players to prioritizing fit and joy, work ethic and alignment, she also gets incredibly practical about what she listens for, how she talks about faith-based schools without the stereotypes and the simple recruiting habits that separate athletes who are serious from athletes who are just interested. And before we get started, you can find more recruiting tools and resources@coachmattrogers.com, including my book, significant Recruiting and my newest release, the Volleyball Recruits Journal designed to help volleyball recruits and their parents through every step of the recruiting journey proactively and with confidence. Let's get into part two of my conversation with Coach Candace Motz. Welcome back. I've got Hall of Fame coach Candace Moats here, and she's fantastic. If you didn't watch or listen to our first podcast. Conversation, go back and watch it. I was in tears. Coach has me so motivated. I'm gonna apply for jobs today. I don't even, it could be swimming, it could be water polo. I don't care. I wanna be back coaching kids after talking to you. So thank you for that. Oh let's talk about recruiting for a little bit. 'cause it's such a big part of your world. Yeah. Whenever I talk to coaches that like you, that, and they're so rare that have these thousand wins over their career. And you do the math and you're like, how in the heck does anybody win 25 games every single year over and over again? 'cause it's so hard to bring in the talent to do that every year to compete. Yeah. Where was your philosophy back when you started and how has it changed in terms of how you recruit and how you build that program? 'cause you've had to adapt I would imagine, 20 different times and Oh, yeah. How you build that program. Right. Yeah I think you know, Matt, when you're young you have so many aspirations that are self-driven. They're not really other centered. They're really just, I gotta win. I gotta prove that I can win. That was starting out right away, right? I gotta prove to myself that I'm a good coach or I'm gonna quit. And so all these things that are driving you are then you're somewhat philosophy of what you're trying to do. And that is, I gotta go get the best players. I didn't even really necessarily think about. What kind of character do they have? What kind of style of coaching do they need? What, what kind of, how can they coordinate with each other? Is this gonna be something that they are gonna enjoy each other? There was none of those things. It was just more I'm gonna get the best players I can get. 'cause we're gonna win. 'cause I wanna win. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that, right? Nope. There's not. But you can really get the best players on the court. And this is cliche that people say you can have the best players on the team and the best team and still not win. Right? And so those are where. Things have changed for me now at the universities that I've been at. There's always been criteria that I've had to stay within 'cause I've stayed within the Christian universities, so I can't just go out and get a crazy person, not crazy person. I mean somebody that doesn't want to stay within the guidelines or the lifestyle statement that we have, right? We don't want that faith-based education. No, exactly right. Thank you. Yes, that's exactly it. Yes. And if that is something that they want, then okay, then we start from that premise. So my areas that have changed and grown is through what kind of person am I need to understand who I am, what do I thrive with? How do I. What kind of coaching style is comfortable for me in that? Then it helps others that are around me rather than hurt others that are around me. Now, with the generations that have changed over the years and more anxiousness and anxiety of more kids, I've had to then adjust myself as well, right. I'm a disciplined person and I want all these kind of things, but I have to also realize that some of the change has to be me and my philosophy has always been get the best, absolute best players you can get and be very patient with that. I go after the highest level I can, but I also do not sacrifice the fit of faith-based at all the universities I've been at. I don't sacrifice. Hard work. I don't sacrifice wanting something, and I always ask my recruits every time I talk to them on the phone, what's your dream? What do you want? What are you going after? And then tell me what do you think it takes to get there? Because everybody wants to tell you, I wanna win a national championship, but do you know what my team goes through to get that? Do you know what it takes every single day when you come to practice, when you've got three tests the next day? Do you know what it takes to travel? A lot and not be able to have that social interaction on your floor dorm floors. Do you know that you probably are gonna spend most of your time studying, spending time with your teammates, eating, sleeping, doing it again with practice? Do you understand those things? Because sometimes people don't and I just wanna really help them. Especially, I think that a lot of times your larger D one maybe. They understand the athlete, like this is major power four, power five schools. They get it right. But a lot of times in the NAI space, maybe your D two space, your D three space, they might come in and go, Hey, I wanna have good time at college and I wanna have all this fun and everything, and everybody has that, even D wants. But I think everybody has to understand that. There is a place too, for when you decide to do an extracurricular activity that there is a little bit of sacrifice that you have to give up in other things, and you have to understand that. So I listen for that. Yeah, I bet you do. I'm curious 'cause when I was a college coach, I worked at schools where the academics were really high, the first question I would always ask a kid is, what's your GPA? What's your test scores? 'cause if you're below a 3, 4, 3 5, I'm really wasting my time. It doesn't matter how much I love you and how talented you are. I'm not gonna I'm gonna have a hard time getting you in the door. And even if I can get you in the door, your parents are probably paying 20 to $30,000. Yeah. Just to send you to school so you can play basketball for me. So my question is for you, when does that faith question. Get asked or how do you approach that with a kid that you like? You've seen her on the court, you've seen her film. When do you get into that faith? Part of who they're, who they are is, and their character and their belief system. So you know they're gonna be able to be comfortable in that transition to Indiana Wesley. Yeah, Matt, that just has to happen right away. Okay? Absolutely. I, okay, so here's the other thing for me that I listen for a lot because I have several kids like this right now. A lot of times people look at the, like the faith-based schools and they think, oh, you gotta be Mother Theresa to be able to come to a school like this. Right, and I just really try to help people understand that this is not the case. This is not the case for faith-based schools. You are not some heroic person that has to be as perfect, or you have to, you can't mess up or anything like that. There's just so much. Misunderstanding of, I think Christian universities, it's a very normal school. It's a very, you're, you are human. You're coming with your humanity to the university. Teenagers, yes. Lots and lots of teenagers and hormones. Absolutely. And there's going to be lots of choices and there's gonna be lots of struggles and there's gonna be. Times you mess up and Yeah. Matt, the day that I don't even know where it came from, but I did, I, I said a swear word during practice and it was like, it shocked me even, and it was silence and then all of a sudden. Everybody was like, somebody started laughing and I started laughing oh my gosh, I don't even know what happened there. I'm so sorry. I said that. It's like we're human, but I just like to help people say, okay, here is some lifestyle statements that if you stay within these, so for example, don't find the parties. Every weekend and go drink. Don't find those things because you're not gonna thrive at our school choices. If you get caught. If you get caught, then you're gonna be in probation and all those things, and it takes away from your enjoyable. Journey with the volleyball program, you know? Right. Yeah. Yeah. And I don't wanna chase after you, you want, you, I really, you've said it, you wanna win and it's hard to win when you're partying and not sleeping. And Yes. And if that's what you want, and this is the thing, like I make, I let nobody, I make nobody feel bad if that's what they're ready to do. Leave home and go be on their own and explore and do all these different things. Go, just don't come here. Just don't come here. And I just want kids that even if they don't know for sure, and they're scared to death to in a sense in their mind, have created some kind of faith-based school lookalike, yes, this is what it should look like. I help them understand that you are exactly who you need to be and you can always be who you are. We are not trying to. Transform you to anybody else, just come and be yourself. And if you can stay within these boundaries, then you are good enough. And that's what I say to these guys. They're just come and enjoy and be yourself and then explore. That's what college is about. Explore the things that are all around you. I was raised Catholic. Yeah. I'm very agnostic at this point in my life, but I bounce back and forth 'cause my faith has always been a huge part of my journey. Yeah. I just see it a little differently. I don't see it with brick and mortar like I used to. Yeah. Where does forgiveness work in the world of a faith-based school? Where is forgiveness in that world? Grace is grace and forgiveness. Matt is the foundation. It's the foundation of what God offered to us in sacrificing his son to us to provide an opportunity for us to be saved. And grace and forgiveness is, it's the foundation. If you can't have forgiveness. And be able to see people for who they are and to see the best in them, even in their worst moments, then you shouldn't be working with people because you gotta see people in their best versions. Nobody is gonna be perfect. Yeah. So to love them, to help them understand that, Hey, okay, we messed up here. Okay. We made this decision shoot, and our school is 100% full of grace and forgiveness. That's great. Nobody gets booted from our school. Good. They just get, Hey, let's talk about this. Why did you make this decision? What are some of the things that you're struggling with right now? Very much so important. Love that. Give me, gimme one thing. That gets you excited about a kid that you see on film. You see her live, she shows up at your door. Gimme one thing that just gets you giddy. To have that try and get that kid on your roster and to be part of your family. Somebody that has life. I love kids today that just. Have joy and they just, they're alive when they come to visit, they're excited about it. They're not quiet. Hiding behind mom, just unengaged, or disengaged. They. I just, I, it tells me that somebody is after something. They've got passion, they have some direction at what they're trying to, what they wanna try to approach and go after. I just want somebody that feels alive to me, and comes in and just has fun and we start to talk and you don't even know that. Your hours gone by already because there's just engagement and we're having fun and I make it pretty easy to, yeah. Not have to come up with a lot of questions or Hey, tell me about this. It's a easy question. Or. Tell me what's one thing that makes you laugh or, it's just, that's right. It's super easy. It's not something that's oh, give me all these deep, meaningful pieces, of your life. Yeah. Why do you love the game? Yes. What do you like about being a teammate? Things like that. Yeah. Yeah. What makes you happy? What's the funniest thing someone said to you in a huddle or whatever, that's right. Stuff like that. Yeah. I don't think that the average teenager understands that's where we're headed. That's what we want out of this. Yeah. This is a relationship. We're gonna be together for at least four years and hopefully 40 years after that. Yes. We wanna get, I wanna get to know you. I wanna get to know who your, who that person is deep down inside, yeah. We wanna be around each other. Maybe you don't like me. Maybe I'm not a good fit for you, but let's figure that out. Right. And that's the thing that I, another thing that changed in me in recruiting, Matt, is that, I think most coaches can, are pretty good manipulators. I think they really are. They can talk the talk and if they want somebody, boy, we can create. A script that pretty much everybody's thinking, oh gosh, I wanna go there. One thing that I really started to recognize is that I do not wanna have to work hard to get a kid to say, yes, I wanna be myself. I wanna share the things that are enjoyable to me. I want them to see that if they resonate with that. Great. And they'll start to engage with you in it. Yes. But if they don't see it and they're really struggling and they're really like, ah, I don't know, kind of thing. I just say, I think you should go away and really start thinking about what you really want, because it's okay. This, I'm not putting handcuffs on you and telling you that you have no choice. Yes, you, it's your life. And I want somebody to come to our school because they picked it, because they see themselves on the court. They see themselves with their, the teammates. They're, they have met and that they see themselves at the school and that they're gonna have a blast. Yeah. That's what I want them to know and pick, because they see that for themselves. Not 'cause of how I rush them into a decision or Hey, if you don't sign today, I'm going to the next person. That's right. Most of the time we don't, but we, but often that's said, I get kids that tell me all the time I gotta decide because I've got two days to make this decision. I'm like, then you got two days, I guess with that school, but not here. You don't have two days. I want you to really know Yeah. That you're coming here now. I do. I want you just for a year. Yeah. I don't want to have to do this all again in a year. Exactly right. That's exactly right. And that's the, that's what's happening today. If you don't have people on the transfer portal, it's usually, wow. I wanna go talk to you. What's going on at your school that you didn't have somebody leave? It's the biggest problem with coaches and with athletes is, I'm gonna use that same word, manipulate. Sometimes we manipulate ourselves. Oh, she's so talented. Yeah. I'm not sure about the character. There's some red flags there, but I want that talent and we manipulate our brain to say, I'm gonna do what it takes to get her when I know deep down it's not a good fit. And then we have the kids that do the same thing. Yeah. Pre national championships. I wanna be a part of that Fourth. Maybe I don't want that faith component. Maybe, yes. I don't want the size of the school. Maybe they don't have my major, but I'm gonna change my major because I wanna be a part of that. So I think that manipulation is often internal as much as it is external. Oh, 100%. I, that's, you hit that so on the head. That is so true. I wanna wrap this up, coach, and again I could, I might have you back in a couple months just so we can talk more if you're up for it. Matt, anytime you, I would love, oh gosh, I'd love to join. I've loved every second of this. Give one piece of advice to a family with a teenage girl that wants to play college volleyball and maybe wants to play at Indiana Wesley, what advice would you give them as they're starting this journey to play at the next level? Yeah, I would say identify some schools that you see yourself at and why, why? Why are you putting that school name on a list? Maybe write the school name and then write a why. Just. Beside it so that okay, this is why I put that school name on there, and maybe it'll change for you and that as you look at it later, but for initially when you're thinking about it, okay, this is why I put that school name on there. Then I would say that in funneling it more towards our school, one thing that. I think the best, some of the best players that I have on my team, Matt, have been people that have reached out to me. Yep. Same. I haven't found them. Yeah. They reached out me best, I've coach. They found me. Yeah. Oh and they write me an email and tell me. Hey, this is something I'm looking at. I'm excited about this school. A lot of kids like do their homework. They do their homework, man. Some of the kids were, that were writing me recently in these last weeks have been like, Hey, telling me details that I didn't even know. They were doing the homework. And I, I think people that are taking that much time to do that today, probably. Really have a lot more heart and passion for why they're wanting to look at our school as one of the choices. So I look at that. I really think too that once I get that email I always wanna see some kind of link of. Performance. It's important If I don't get that it's harder, to determine do I wanna engage with this person? Yeah. Or not so giving, sending me a link of them playing skills, game would be fine. Or a highlight reel, whatever. And then. If I start to see all those things are lining up, I just, then I reach out for the phone call and in the phone call. What I really want is for, first of all, for them to just be willing to share a little bit about themselves. Have questions ready, have something that you wanna know that. Would guide the conversation because a coach can read their script and talk about their school and all those things, and it can go one ear out the other because you didn't really wanna hear all that or whatever, make it like we're having right now a conversation of interest. We wanna really know the answer to these questions. So have some questions in there and then. I just really can get a feel as we're talking. I really ask about their faith. Now some kids tell me, I don't really go to church. I don't really know what even that Christian thing is about. And I said, okay. All right, then here's what I'm gonna talk to you about. I'm gonna tell you this, okay? We are a Christian university, so do you even know what that means? And some will say I think you got a dress like with your shorts really long, and you got, and they're giving, it's always the dress code. It's so hilarious to me. And I laugh with them and I think it's hilarious. And I go, yeah, we wear none. We have. We wear nun habits and we carry our Bible around when we're walking from one class to the other and it's getting really quiet. And then I go, okay, let's just back up. And then I start to proceed to tell them, what does this really mean? What is, what would the life look like if you came here and here's. If you can, if you, if your aspirations to come to school is to get a degree, is to build great friendships that you will, that will last forever, to be on a strong volleyball program and be willing to work hard to achieve the goals that you want and to live within the lifestyle statement. Which is just don't get drunk every weekend. And go out and drink and do all this different stuff. Then you are good enough. Yeah. You're good enough. Are you open to respecting other people and wanting Yes. Respect back? 100%. 100%. And I try to be as honest with I can. Yes. I don't hide anything, Matt. Yeah. I don't hide anything. We're gonna pray before we practice. Yeah. Okay hey, you just gotta be in the circle. You just gotta be in the circle. We're not gonna ask you to pray day one. Go, Hey, just, we will respect who you are. And some kids, it takes two or three years before they finally, Hey, can I say a prayer? I think I'm ready. Yeah, 100%. You can do that. It's like raising toddlers. You can't use certain words that you'll use with an adult, with toddler. Yes. Prayer is a very confusing word. They have to understand that prayer is gratitude. Prayer is thankfulness. Prayer is being, just being blessed that you've got these people around you that you get to keep playing this game and you're healthy. Yes. That is so right, Matt, when we def, when we define prayer the right way. Yes. Everybody wants that. Yes. Everybody wants that gratitude. Everybody wants to feel engaged and involved and a part of a community. To be thankful for the opportunity that they have. So yes, again, coach. Thank you for doing this. Of course. I look so forward to our future conversations and I'm I'll, I'm, I'll reach out to you a couple of those kids we talked about. But call me anytime if I can help you or your program or the school, or if there's a kid in the Colorado area you're interested. That's where I live. Okay. I'm always happy to help. Thank you so much. I'll be cheering for this. I, I'm gonna put that up there real quick and pull it down. And I wanna thank you. But Matt, thank you so much. I love what you're doing and I definitely am gonna partner and please feel the freedom to always call. I'm, I would love to talk to you every day if I could. I'm all for it, coach. Thank you so much. Good luck and okay. And we'll talk to you soon. All right. Thank you. You just heard part two of a two-part conversation with Coach Candace Motz head volleyball coach at Indiana Wesleyan University, the A VCA Coach of the Year, and the leader of a program that has now won three consecutive NAIA National Championships. And if you're a recruit or a parent or a high school or club coach, I hope you caught what made this episode so special. I loved how coach was clear about this. She doesn't wanna manipulate anybody into saying yes. She wants recruits to choose a school because they can truly see themselves there on the court with the team, in the classroom, and in the community. That's how you build retention. That's how you build trust. That's how you build a program that doesn't live on the transfer portal. If you're a family listening, take her advice Seriously. Make your list and write the why. Next to every school you're looking at. Know what you want, know what you're walking into, and then do the part that too many recruits still avoid. Send the email. Include your video link. Be ready with real questions. Make that phone call. Tell them, let 'em hear your voice. Bring your energy, bring your curiosity, bring life. And if you miss part one, go back and listen. It's one of those conversations that will ground you and challenge you whether you coach volleyball or not. As always, you can find more recruiting tools and resources@coachmattrogers.com, including my book, significant Recruiting and my newest release, the Volleyball Recruits Journal built to help volleyball players stay organized, be intentional and confident throughout the recruiting journey. Until next time, stay focused on what you can control. Stay humble and keep chasing significance.