The Missouri basketball program has been in a constant state of flux over the past several years, with multiple athletic director changes exacerbating the impact. With Kim Anderson getting fired, the Tigers are entering their third basketball search since 2011, when Frank Haith took over for Mike Anderson. Haith left abruptly for Tulsa after the 2013-14 season, and then-AD Mike Alden hired former Missouri assistant coach Kim Anderson -- a local favorite.
Things never really got going for Anderson, who was hired on the heels of a Division II title with Central Missouri. The Tigers went just 9-23 in his first season, and they followed that up with a 10-21 campaign last year. Missouri is 7-23 this season -- including a 13-game losing streak from December to February.
New athletic director Jim Sterk will oversee the search, after replacing Mack Rhoades in August. It's a total rebuild for the next head coach, as the roster simply isn't on par with teams in the rest of the league. That said, the SEC is generally wide-open after Kentucky, so a climb up the league standings within the next couple of years is possible.
Where will Missouri look this time?
Job description
Whichever direction Missouri decides to go with this search, it will be vastly different than the one that resulted in the hiring of Anderson, a longtime Missouri assistant who had spent the previous 12 seasons at a Division II school. The school went through a football search last winter, resulting in the hiring of Barry Odom -- who is now the lowest-paid head coach in the SEC. What does that mean for the basketball hire? Sources have said the school is willing to spend this time around in an attempt to secure a name-brand hire. The next head coach won't have to deal with heavy expectations, as Anderson failed to win more than 10 games in any of his three seasons in charge.
One thing that has been discussed in coaching circles is the racial tension on campus in the past couple of years. There were several student protests in 2015, including a boycott by the football team. There was also an incident in September where white students yelled racial slurs at a group of black female students.
Take a chance at
Gregg Marshall, Wichita State
Marshall was mentioned when this job opened a few years ago. He's going to be a candidate for nearly every high-major opening again this spring -- but the big question still remains: When will Marshall leave? He's making more than $3 million a year, and it's doubtful he pulls the trigger for this job.
Unlikely, but worth a call
Scott Drew, Baylor
There's been some buzz that Drew could be looking at other opportunities this spring, although Missouri might not be the spot for him, because Drew's brother, Bryce, is at Vandy and the two have said they don't want to coach against each other in the same league. Drew has done one of the best coaching jobs in the country this season and could probably go to a more stable situation if he chooses to leave Waco.
Buzz Williams, Virginia Tech
Since Williams got to Blacksburg in 2014, his name has continued to pop up every spring on the coaching carousel -- including last year at TCU and Oklahoma State. After winning 20 games last season and leading the Hokies to the NCAA tournament this season, though, sources have said he's more comfortable at Tech now.
Will Wade, VCU
Likely to be one of the hottest names on the coaching carousel this spring, Wade will inevitably have his pick of jobs. After winning 40 games in two seasons at Chattanooga, he led VCU to the NCAA tournament in his first season in charge of the Rams, and has them headed back to the tourney again this season.
Brad Underwood, Oklahoma State
This seems out of the box, since Underwood has only been at Oklahoma State for a year -- but he's only making around $1.3 million and could listen to other, more lucrative offers. Underwood went 53-1 in Southland play at Stephen F. Austin and went to three straight NCAA tournaments, and led Oklahoma State to the NCAA tournament in his first season in Stillwater. It's doubtful he leaves, but he could listen.
More realistic
Cuonzo Martin, California
According to sources, Martin would prefer to get back to the Midwest. He headed out west to California in 2014 after three seasons at Tennessee, but the East St. Louis, Illinois, native has also been the head coach at Missouri State and an assistant (and player) at Purdue. Martin led the Golden Bears to a 4-seed in the NCAA tournament last season, and 19 wins this season despite losing top-three draft pick Jaylen Brown. He can recruit the region, too.
Dan Muller, Illinois State
Muller has won at least 18 games in all five seasons since taking over at Illinois State in 2013. This season has been his best with the Redbirds, going 27-5 and losing just one game in the Missouri Valley. He has experience in the SEC as a Vanderbilt assistant.
Chris Holtmann, Butler
Holtmann is headed toward his third straight NCAA tournament appearance since taking over for Brandon Miller in 2014, and was linked to Tennessee and Georgia Tech the past two years. Holtmann could listen to Missouri, but he could also be aiming higher for his next step.
Tom Crean, Indiana
The relationship between Crean and Indiana seems fractured at best, and a fresh start could be best for both sides. Crean would obviously bring name recognition to the position, and he's shown he can win at the highest level -- albeit inconsistently. He will likely be rumored for several "soft" landing spots this offseason, but Missouri offers a league that he can move up in fairly quickly. Plus, he's a Midwest guy.
Micah Shrewsberry, Boston Celtics (assistant)
If you're looking for a sleeper this spring, Shrewsberry is a name to watch. He's spent the last four seasons as an assistant under Celtics coach Brad Stevens, but he was also an assistant coach at Purdue for two seasons and Butler for three. He's from Indianapolis, too. Shrewsberry's only experience as a head coach is at IU South Bend, but he could be looking to make the move back to college from the NBA.
Jeff Capel, Duke (assistant)
Capel was in the mix for the Arizona State job before Bobby Hurley got it, and the former Oklahoma head coach would like to run his own program again. The question is whether he thinks he can get Duke, and whether Mizzou is worth leaving for. There's another connection here, as Missouri senior associate AD Brian White is the son of Duke AD Kevin White.
Backups
Lorenzo Romar, Washington
This has been the most common coaching rumor throughout the season: that Romar, who was formerly the head coach at Saint Louis, would leave the Pacific Northwest for Missouri and bring No. 1 prospect Michael Porter Jr. and assistant coach Michael Porter Sr. with him. Well, that's probably not going to happen. Romar hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 2011, despite having multiple first-round picks on his roster -- including potential No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz this season.
Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's
It doesn't seem to fit, but here's what does make sense: New Missouri AD Jim Sterk is a West Coast guy, coming from San Diego State and Washington State. He's fully aware of the success Bennett has had in Moraga, and Bennett also could also bring his Aussie pipeline to Columbia.
Kevin Keatts, UNC Wilmington
Perhaps the hottest mid-major name this spring, Keatts will likely end up at a Power 5 school by the time the carousel stops spinning. Will it be this one? He's a former Rick Pitino assistant who rebuilt UNCW very quickly, going to the NCAA tournament last season and having the Seahawks on track to win the CAA again this season.
Eric Musselman, Nevada
Musselman brings plenty of experience on the sideline, with various stops in the NBA -- including three seasons as a head coach -- and in college. He took over at Nevada two seasons ago, and engineered a 15-win improvement in his first season and has the Wolfpack on the precipice of an NCAA tournament bid this season.
Pat Kelsey, Winthrop
A Midwest native, Kelsey tied for the regular season title in the Big South last season and had the Eagles in the mix for a championship again this season. He has been an assistant at Wake Forest and Xavier.
Recommendation
If the biggest names aren't receptive, the call should be to Cuonzo Martin. He has regional ties, he can recruit in different areas, and he has won at different levels. The only issue is whether Missouri is the job he wants if he does indeed leave California.
Prediction
At the end of the day, Martin could probably go for something else that opens. As a result, Dan Muller could be the guy for Missouri. He has recruited at a high-major level at Vanderbilt, and then steadily improved Illinois State in each of his five years in Normal.