By Dr. David Hoch

David Hoch, EdD, is the Athletic Director at Loch Raven High School in Baltimore County, Md. He is past President of the Maryland State Athletic Directors Association and a frequent contributor to Athletic Management. He can be reached at: dhoch@bcps.org.

It's a week before the start of the season and one of your coaches suddenly resigns. With the schedule set and athletes nervously awaiting a leader, you need to find a coach--and quickly. This is a daunting task, but one in which you have to succeed. There is no other choice.

In my years of being a high school athletic director, I've dealt with this scenario my share of times. Just last year we lost our new golf coach, who had only been hired three months earlier, to a teaching position in another state. What did I do? What can anyone do in this situation?

A quick hire requires a creative approach. Forget about placing an ad in the classified section of the newspaper. If you want to succeed, you need to work fast and be aggressive.

Use the Internet: Your first step should be to use new technology to get the word out. Send an announcement about your opening to Web site or e-mail lists that may reach potential candidates. Here in Maryland, I can post this information on the state athletic directors' and coaches' association Web sites. This avenue has proven helpful on many occasions, and I have been able to have the announcement posted within hours of a coach resigning.

You may also want to zero in on potential candidates in the particular sport. Find out if there is a list serve for the sport or a coaches' group that would e-mail its members about your job opening.

The great thing about using new technology is that you can be fairly sure anyone who reads your notice knows how to use e-mail. This means interested candidates can immediately send their resumes and references, which is exactly what you need when time is limited.

College Contacts: If your school is located within an hour's drive of a college or university, try tapping into its resources. I've often asked coaches at area colleges to spread the word to their former players about our job openings.

College coaches may also be aware of fifth-year seniors who have used up their eligibility and are ready to start their coaching careers. As long as they're 21 years old (which is a requirement in our state) and their class schedule allows time for your practices and contests, this can work well. Of course, college students don't usually offer long-term solutions, but they can help you out of a bind. Over the years, we have found several young coaches at one of our local colleges.

Calling All Alumni: When you need to move quickly, the best person to hire is often someone you already know. That's why I always contact our former athletes, who may be willing to help their alma mater out of loyalty to the school and a desire to give back. And since you already know these individuals, the process can go more quickly.

From eligibility lists that you have on file, you probably still possess addresses and phone numbers for your former athletes. If you don't, ask your outgoing coach for his or her e-mail distribution lists of former players. Even if these alumni can't step into the void, they might be able to give you a lead.

Creative Networking: While it's important to spread the word to as many individuals as you can, you also need to pinpoint specific populations. For example, during our search for a replacement golf coach, one of my coaches called pros at the local golf course. His thinking was that these pros might know a local golfer, perhaps someone who was retired and might be interested. Years earlier, while I was searching for a cross country coach, I contacted one of the officers in the metropolitan road runners club. Brainstorm to determine who else might be able to give you some leads.

Pitching Your Coaches: If all of those leads come up short, it's time to turn to your current coaches. Maybe an assistant football coach would be willing to take on the track and field vacancy, or your field hockey coach could be convinced to lead the tennis team. In a case like this, I don't mince words: I ask them to do our students a huge favor, because the kids don't deserve to have their season cancelled.

Early in my coaching career, that is exactly what happened to me. Our highly respected, supportive, and motivational athletic director took this approach with me, and in spite of coaching two other sports, I couldn't resist his request. I try to evoke his passion when making the same pitch today.

If they do accept, it's then our job as athletic directors to support them in every way we can. This may mean arranging for a student to help with paperwork or reducing non-teaching loads, and it definitely calls for heaping on praise and thanks throughout the season.

In the Meantime: While you are posting the opening, networking, and talking to your coaches, try to get some of the start-of-the-season procedures in place. For example, you can collect the athletes' permission and physical forms, grades, and emergency contact information needed for the eligibility report. This will be one less headache for the new coach and an important show of support.

If practices need to begin and I'm still coachless, I may even lead the team myself for a day or two. This lets athletes know I am dedicated to seeing them succeed, and gets their season started.

As athletic directors, demonstrating a commitment to our athletes in a crisis is absolutely essential. And at times of greatest stress, it helps to remind myself that, no matter how difficult it is to make these last-minute replacements, I've always been able to hire someone--and salvage the athletes' season.