This post was written by Dan Tudor. He is the founder of Selling for Coaches, a training program that teaches advanced recruiting and communication skills to college coaches and athletic departments around the country. He will be blogging about recruiting training for Double-A Zone. Click here for more information about the company.

In the last two or three months, I've been made aware of more than a few articles published in respected journals and coaching magazines that have really been negative towards small college coaches.

The articles ranged from editorial comments from professors and parents decrying the newfound competitive nature of Division III and small college athletics and its effect on their campus and their children, to "experts" who are wondering if Division III sports has what it takes to challenge the dominance of their Division I counterparts.

More than ever before, increased attention - and pressure - is on Division III college coaches: Pressure from fans, alumni, local media and even their athletics departments. It's no longer adequate to have the equivalent to a club sport on the D3 campus.

Coaches at small colleges are under increasing pressure to win. If they don't produce, they are finding that the results are the same for them as it is for their Division I compatriots: Unemployment.

In dealing with small college coaches and athletic departments on a regular basis, I've seen this metamorphosis occurring for several years now. The change at the small college level will have an impact on those athletics departments, and I believe it will also affect the Division I recruiting landscape.

Why?

Division III sports have a lot to offer and their coaches are getting better and better at recruiting.

What does the future hold for college recruiters? Things are only going to get better.

Here are three things every small college coach should know about the new recruiting landscape:

You can recruit Division I athletes to your Division III programs. I've seen it happen, and I've helped coaches develop the strategies to make it happen. What's the secret? Small college coaches need to first understand that many top-caliber athletes don't always want the pressure and lifestyle that come with a Division I opportunity.So, I recommend that small college coaches should always recruit a good number of Division I prospects. How can you get them to choose your school? You need to accentuate your differences and sell your prospects on the D3 college lifestyle: Serious sports with room to breathe and enjoy college life. It can be done, and is happening more and more. It takes some planning and training, but the pay-off is huge.

You need to win. Your athletic director expects you to compete and succeed at a high level. So do your fans, and so do your alumni. The days of being the little team on the other side of the campus that squeezed in a few practices in between classes is over. Most Division III campuses are investing in facilities and realizing that better sports performances equal increased alumni financial support. So, coach, the pressure is on. Now for the good news: You are better positioned than ever before to get better athletes on campus, and meet these new expectations. The first step is to develop a more aggressive plan for reaching your "next level" prospects and developing a compelling case for why they should want to compete for you at your Division III school. Like I said, there has never been a better time to do that.

It all comes down to your story. The biggest mistake I see small colleges make in this new era of recruiting opportunities is to try and act like their D1 competition. They will try to compare their facilities, their records, and on and on and on. My advice is to build a completely unique, unforgettable, attractive and compelling "story" about you, your program and your college. And, small college recruiters need to tell it with the same passion and belief that a D1 coach would. You'd better believe in what you are selling, and be ready to firmly assert the idea that their D3 school should be #1 on their prospect's list. A great story that gives prospects something to believe in is a great first step.

Division III sports are changing. The good news is that there has never been a better opportunity to do that as a small college recruiter.

We could spend time, as some have, writing high-brow articles on the philosophical implications of these changes that we're witnessing on the small college sports landscape. Instead, I'd like to focus on how those that make their living as a small college coach or athletic director adapt to these new realities. At the end of the day, competing successfully and winning the recruiting game is what matters to most of the coaches that I talk to.