Tulsa fired football coach Kevin Wilson on Sunday and appointed wide receivers coach Ryan Switzer as interim head coach for the final game of the season. The move comes just before a very important period in the college football calendar.

From December 4 through December 6, prospective high school student-athletes in the 2025 class can sign with colleges. At one point, TU had 16 commitments in this recruiting cycle, but that has recently dwindled to 12.

Putnam City (OK) linebacker Brayden Knox committed to Tulsa in July, but decided to reopen his recruiting process at the end of October. A few days later, 3-star receiver Jaquise Martin of Bryan (TX) Rudder also de-committed. Both players were receiving NIL offers from other colleges, and Martin recently committed to Houston.

Once the news of Wilson’s firing spread, two more prospects backed off of their Tulsa commitments.

Talented North Crowley (TX) defensive back Draden Fullbright announced his de-commitment on Sunday afternoon and quickly picked up offers from Oklahoma State and Houston. Also on Sunday afternoon, Coppell (TX) defensive end Blake Isbell flipped his commitment from TU to Texas State.

Coinciding with the early signing period for high school athletes is the mid-year junior college signing period, which runs from December 4 through January 15. And the all-important transfer portal window runs from December 9 through December 28.

What this means for Tulsa is that the Hurricane may be at a severe disadvantage without a new head coach in place prior to December 4. That certainly isn’t a reason to rush the hiring process, but in this age of college athletics, the month of December is extremely crucial.

Coaches must not only tie up their early high school and juco signees, as well as recruit the transfer portal, but they must also recruit their own players to keep them from jumping into the portal.

Under Wilson, Tulsa’s recruiting strategy was focused heavily on high school athletes. The timing of this coaching change may mean that the transfer portal plays a larger role for TU this year than if Wilson had been retained.

“With the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics, we know the importance of positioning our football program and athletic department to thrive and excel in the upcoming years,” TU athletic director Justin Moore said in a statement. “Our standard will be to play in bowl games every season, compete for conference titles, and build a program that everyone connected to the Golden Hurricane will be proud of."

It seems clear from Moore’s remarks that he understands the magnitude of the situation. It’s highly likely that he had a plan in place and wheels in motion long before Wilson was relieved of his duties on Sunday. With five other AAC teams already looking for head coaches, time is of the essence.