It's only early November and already four Division I-A schools are looking for new head coaches. The average fan is probably wondering why these decisions were made well before the end of the season. There are several reasons why athletic directors are compelled to move quickly in cases such as these, but the main reason is without a doubt recruiting.

The home stretch of the recruiting race officially begins the first weekend of December, so it's vital for athletic directors to have a new coach in place by then. Early commitments and changes in the recruiting landscape over the past few years have speeded up the process these days, and the schools without head coaches during the important first couple of weeks of December are more likely to wind up with an average to below-average class. And for Kansas, Cal and Vanderbilt, three schools that have traditionally had trouble competing for blue-chip athletes, time is of the essence. The Commodores' new coaches particularly need to have as many weeks of recruiting as possible before Signing Day because they must evaluate players nationally, due to Vandy's high academic standards and the fact that it's a private school.

If an athletic director is sure he's going to get rid of the head coach, then the earlier in the season the better. By naming a new coach before the recruiting season is in full swing, he can kick-start a dormant recruiting program. The new coach comes in with a number of advantages, mainly that he's undefeated at the school and can with a clear conscience tell recruits just about anything they want to hear, and they'll be inclined to believe him since he has no track record at the school.

It's been my experience that a school that names a new coach during or just at the end of the season will end up with a solid class. A school like Notre Dame, which has already gotten off to a very good start with its Class of 2002, could afford to wait a little longer than the lesser-known schools to name a new coach and still have a top-notch class because of the program's traditions, academic record and TV exposure. But most schools don't have Notre Dame's advantages and thus must have a smooth and quick coaching transition in order to save their respective recruiting campaigns.

Kansas, for example, has recruited poorly over the past few years and needs to come up with a talented, athletic class in order for the new coach to start turning the program around. He and his staff have to move quickly to convince at least six or seven quality athletes to officially visit the campus. The past couple of years, the top blue-chip athletes have started to decide on visits in mid-November and usually schedule two visits in December and three in January. Kansas will have to compete with Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and several other big-time schools for region's blue-chip athletes, so the more time the Jayhawks coaches have to do so will be to their benefit.

Cal has similar problems and must battle UCLA, USC, Stanford, and Washington for the most talented players on the West Coast. And Vanderbilt is competing for its regional prospects against the major powers of the SEC and ACC. Navy just recently fired its head coach, but the Midshipmen, along with Army and Air Force, have a more relaxed recruiting approach, so the Navy athletic director's timetable could be a little more flexible.

I don't envy an athletic director who must fire a head coach and then make an equally difficult and pressure-laden decision in a relatively short period of time. If the decision is a good one, it could mean priceless good publicity for the school. If it's a bad one, the athletic director's job could be in jeopardy and the school could have four or five more years of bad football and a lot of upset alumni.

Tom Lemming is editor of Prep Football Report. For information on how to subscribe to Prep Football Report's three yearly magazines and five newsletters ($60 for the magazines and $90 for both magazines and newsletters), fax your name, address and fax number to 847-842-1313 or write to P.O. Box 59113, Schaumburg, Ill. 60159. For year-round recruiting updates, call Tom Lemming's Prep Football Hotline at 900-860-9888. Calls are $1.79 per minute, and callers must be 18 years old or have parents' permission.