Predicting the success of student-athletes prior to their arrival at college has been a major issue since sports originated at the higher education level. Recent scandals at the University of Oklahoma, University of Colorado, Baylor University, and the University of Miami have been well documented. According to the Keeping the Faith Report (1991) in 1989, the Louis Harris Poll found that 80% of Americans felt big-time collegiate sports were corrupt and out of control. Therefore schools like the University of Oklahoma have begun to conduct criminal background checks on recruited student-athletes (Auman, 2005). In as much, with higher academic standards implemented by the NCAA the stakes are even higher for coaches and administrators to make good decisions regarding the student-athletes they are recruiting. The intent of this qualitative study was to determine if men's football and men's basketball coaches at the university or college level utilize an assessment instrument when recruiting and evaluating potential student-athletes. These sports were purposively sampled due to their historically low graduation rates and reoccurring behavioral problems (Knight Foundation Commission Report, 2001). Specifically studied through interviews were the characteristics that these coaches look for in successful and unsuccessful student-athletes, how they currently collect information during the recruitment period and whether collecting data on student-athletes is of importance or not. The population for this study consisted of current Division IA men's football and men's basketball coaches in the Big 12 Conference. The participants were sent a letter asking for their participation in the study and then were contacted by phone to set up an interview. Telephone interviews were conducted and data was recorded and analyzed using emergent category designation. To satisfy triangulation the interviews were conducted with coaches at multiple institutions from several geographic areas and peer debriefing was utilized. During the interview process further information and/or documents that pertain to how they evaluate or assess student-athletes were acquired. This study established that most coaches do not utilize an assessment instrument. The themes identified several common characteristics such as competitiveness and character when recruiting. The evaluation process of student-athletes was identified by the coaches to be the most difficult and critical part of their jobs. The results of the study were subsequently used to develop an assessment instrument to more effectively define the needs of student-athletes prior to entering universities. Keyword(s): assessment, college level issues, sport management