The correct answer is that staff members are never allowed to contact a prospective student-athlete's high school coach to discuss the athlete. This prohibition is part of the NCAA's broader regulations designed to protect the integrity of the recruitment process and ensure that prospective student-athletes are not unduly influenced or pressured in their decision-making.
The rule reflects the NCAA's commitment to maintaining a fair and equitable recruiting environment, where all athletes have an equal opportunity to be recruited based on their own merits and abilities, rather than through conversations involving outside parties. This restriction helps to prevent any kind of improper influence that may arise from direct discussions about a student-athlete's performance or potential with their high school coach.
While it may seem essential to gather information about a prospective athlete through their coach, doing so could lead to violations of recruiting ethics or interfere with the choice and autonomy of the student-athlete. Therefore, it is crucial for compliance with NCAA rules to avoid such communications entirely.