Tate Sage’s Pickleball Recruiting Story: Tate Sage, a 6-foot-7 basketball player from Weatherford High School in Oklahoma, chose his college after a unique recruiting experience. In July 2024, during his official visit to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Sage played a heated pickleball match with then-head coach Ben McCollum and assistant coach Bryston Williams. That match helped him see how much they cared about competition, and it helped him make up his mind.
A Different Kind of Recruiting Visit
Instead of the usual tour and dinner, Sage’s visit to Drake included a game of pickleball. The plan started after assistant coach Bryston Williams saw Sage playing the sport during a video call.
“During my recruiting process, they’d always FaceTime me, and Coach Bryston called me one night and I was out playing pickleball at my home courts here in my hometown, and he was like ‘Oh, we play pickleball, too. As soon as you get up here for your visit, we’re going to run it up. We’re going to play against each other,’ and I was like ‘Alright, let’s do it!’” – (sage)
“We got up there, and sure enough they took us to get food and then we played pickleball for about an hour-and-a-half. It was me and my brother, Ethan, versus Coach Mac and Coach Bryston.” – (sage)
Pickleball Showed Coach’s Passion
Sage said the match gave him a look at how serious Coach Ben McCollum was about winning — even in a game of pickleball. That meant a lot to him.
“One thing that stood out for me, the biggest green flag I saw was, usually when you play a pickleball match against friends, you kind of just goof off and have fun, but it was different because me and Coach Mac were competing.” – (sage)
“He was trying to talk a little smack, so even though it was just a little pickleball game, it just showed me how much we competed against each other and we’re both competitors, and I just really loved it. He was sweating. I was sweating. It was so much fun.” – (sage)
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A Visit Like No Other
Sage appreciated how the visit felt more personal and fun. It was more than just a typical college tour, and it helped him build trust in the coaches.
“When I took my other visits, it was kind of very similar to the normal visit – see campus, go eat, and just hang out with the staff – but Coach Mac and Coach Bryston wanted to do something that they were good at, that I was good at, and we got to compete, so I just fell in love with it.” – (sage)
“There’s a long list of things that I looked for in my recruiting process, but on top of all that, that match showed me that he’s a competitor. If I go there, I can trust in him to compete. He’s going to do what he’s supposed to do, and we’re going to win games.” – (sage)
A Change in Plans
Soon after, Ben McCollum and Bryston Williams took new jobs at the University of Iowa. They invited Sage to follow them to Iowa City — and he didn’t hesitate.
“Knowing how Coach Mac is, I believe in him, and I believe in myself that I can compete at the highest level, so when I heard that he was going to Iowa and they gave me a call and wanted me to go with, I didn’t have to think about it. It was an immediate yes,” said Sage, who confirmed on April 30.
“I was talking to my family and it’s kind of like ‘Why don’t you want to play for the best coach in the country right now?’ I truly do believe that he’s the best in the country right now, so there was no doubt about it.” – (sage)
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The Rematch Is Coming
The coaches haven’t forgotten that game from last summer — and they want another shot.
“When I showed up to Iowa City last Friday morning, we had breakfast and the first thing the coaching staff said after walking in was ‘Tate, I want my get-back game. I want to play pickleball again.’ All of them. They were like ‘We’ve got pickleball. I want to run it back. I need my revenge right now.’” – (sage)
That rematch might happen soon — and it promises to be just as fun.
News in Brief: Tate Sage’s Pickleball Recruiting Story
Tate Sage chose the University of Iowa after a fun, competitive pickleball match helped him trust coaches Ben McCollum and Bryston Williams. Originally set to attend Drake University, Sage changed course when the coaches moved to Iowa. Now, a rematch is already in the works.
ALSO READ: How a Fierce Pickleball Match Sealed Tate Sage’s Move to Iowa Basketball