It has been more than three months since Don Morel resigned from his position as head coach of the University of La Verne football team.

Prior to Morel, there have only been two other head coaches in the previous 50 years of La Verne football. Understandably this makes the selection of the next head coach more than difficult.

However, it is simply not acceptable that a new head coach has still not been hired by the University selection committee as we enter the final month of school year.

It is already past the time to start thinking about Leopard football next season but there has been little indication that there will be enough preparation time for ULV to field an adequate team in time.

While many schools have been training and preparing with spring practices with their coaching staff intact, our school has postponed the process.

This delay has caused several players to ponder whether or not to return to the team. On top of that, recruitment is extremely low since there is no coach in place at the moment.

Ultimately the failure to act and solidify the football program with a new coach will show next season. No team, no matter if it is an NFL team or the best Division I team, can train and prepare with only three months left until training camp and be ready to compete in a competitive college football conference.

In addition, there is no definite news on the situation other than that the candidates are still being interviewed for the position at this time.

There have been rumors circulating that a coach was positioned for the vacancy but was bypassed because of administrative changes in the committee.

This led to further expanding the search for the next head coach and losing the candidate all together.

Current players and potential recruits do not know where La Verne stands on our football program for 2007.

To not have a coach at this point in the school year is not only an insult to the past coaches and to the program, but also to the school overall.

With the Leopards set to compete in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference once again next season, La Verne remains the only team without a head coach.

Even SCIAC rival Cal Lutheran hired its new head coach in April after the former head coach left for the pros. The Kingsmen’s head coach resigned after Morel in January, but the school has already made a choice and he has been in office for nearly a month now.

Moving towards the future, the team needs a new direction and focus before they enter their next season.

We need a leader that can not only drive his team to play its best, but our future coach needs to understand the legacy of LV football and what Roland Ortmayer, Rex Huigens and Morel have managed to maintain and achieve when they were head of the program.

It is in the best interest of the school and entire football tradition shared at La Verne to make the best possible selection as soon as possible. It means too much to the current players, potential student-athletes, and all those involved to keep letting this issue slide.