With Texas Tech officially announcing Grant McCasland's hire Friday afternoon, the high-major coaching carousel has just about stopped spinning for the 2023 cycle.
It has been a few months in the making, with Texas suspending Chris Beard back in December and ultimately firing him in January, and Mike Brey announcing in January he planned to step down from Notre Dame at the end of the season. And then there was the sudden bombshell from central New York at the ACC tournament, when Jim Boeheim retired after 47 years as Syracuse's head coach.
The Orange moved quickly, tabbing longtime assistant coach Adrian Autry as Boeheim's replacement -- but neither the Longhorns nor the Fighting Irish conducted quick searches. Ole Miss jumped in and hired Beard a couple of weeks after firing Kermit Davis, while Georgia Tech landed Damon Stoudamire days after parting ways with Josh Pastner.
The Big East had most of the drama of the coaching cycle, with Rick Pitino taking over at St. John's, Ed Cooley leaving hometown Providence for conference rival Georgetown (replacing Patrick Ewing) and the Friars landing George Mason's Kim English as Cooley's replacement.
We then had to wait for Texas' season to end and Penn State's Micah Shrewsberry to make a decision. Ultimately, the Longhorns gave interim head coach Rodney Terry the full-time job and Shrewsberry opted to leave for Notre Dame. Penn State quickly hired VCU's Mike Rhoades as Shrewsberry's replacement.
The high-major carousel finally stopped spinning after the NIT Final Four. California and Texas Tech were waiting for Utah Valley and North Texas to finish playing, so they could hire Mark Madsen and McCasland, respectively. Madsen opted not to wait around for the job at his alma mater, Stanford, to open, instead going to rival Cal, while McCasland emerged as the favorite for the Red Raiders almost as soon as Mark Adams was dismissed from Lubbock.
What's left? Utah State is the highest-profile opening after Ryan Odom replaced Rhoades at VCU -- but the NBA coaching cycle is yet to start spinning, and college basketball is always good for a surprise retirement or two. Remember, Mike Krzyzewski didn't announce his retirement until June 2021, and Jay Wright shocked the sports world with his retirement announcement last April.
With smaller jobs yet to be filled, here's how the carousel played out over the past few weeks.
Last updated: 5:15 p.m. ET, March 31, 2023
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March 27 updates
With Rodney Terry officially staying on at Texas, California, Penn State and Texas Tech are the remaining Power 5 openings. Two of those -- Cal and Texas Tech -- are thought to be targeting coaches of teams still playing in the NIT. Utah Valley's Mark Madsen was generating buzz over the weekend at Cal, while North Texas' Grant McCasland is still the favorite at Tech.
As for Penn State, VCU's Mike Rhoades has emerged as one of the front-runners. The two sides met over the weekend, according to sources. Rhoades was mentioned as a candidate last week, given his Pennsylvania roots and three NCAA tournaments in the past five years.
Rounding up the rest of the weekend's scuttlebutt:
Ryan Odom is starting to garner buzz again. The Utah State head coach is rumored to be interested in moving back East, and he's emerged as a candidate at South Florida. Meanwhile, keep an eye on Odom for VCU if Rhoades opts to leave for Penn State. Another name to watch for VCU would be UNC Asheville's Mike Morrell, who spent four seasons with the Rams on Shaka Smart's staff.
Buffalo appeared to be zeroing in on its top targets, but sources have indicated they're now widening their net a bit.
The name gathering steam at George Mason since the job opened has been Tony Skinn, who was a starter on the Patriots' Final Four team in 2006 and is currently on Kevin Willard's staff at Maryland.
Keep an eye on Merrimack's Joe Gallo for Holy Cross.
A couple of early names at Valparaiso: Iowa State assistant JR Blount and Marquette assistant DeAndre Haynes.
11:30 a.m. ET updates
The theme of the coaching carousel so far has been waiting. We waited for St. John's to make its move for Rick Pitino, we waited for Ed Cooley to decide between staying at Providence and going to Georgetown, we waited for Micah Shrewsberry to decide between Penn State and Notre Dame.
And now, we wait for Texas.
The Longhorns' season ended on Sunday in heartbreaking fashion, with a blown double-digit lead in the second half against Miami in the Elite Eight. Despite the loss, interim head coach Rodney Terry did an incredible job with the team, following the suspension and eventual firing of Chris Beard. Texas went 22-7 with Terry at the helm, including a Big 12 conference tournament title, a 2-seed in the NCAA tournament and a run to the Elite Eight. Was that enough to get the full-time job in Austin? Terry is expected to meet with athletic director Chris Del Conte on Monday, sources told ESPN, and industry sources indicated over the weekend the coaching search had been put on hold.
March 23 updates
With Micah Shrewsberry leaving Penn State for Notre Dame -- the move is expected to be made official later this week -- the Nittany Lions joined a dwindling number of Power 5 jobs still open.
Even though Shrewsberry was only in State College for two years, replacing him is not as easy as simply running back the list of candidates from 2021. New athletic director Pat Kraft didn't take over until last spring, although he ran a basketball search at Boston College in 2021. So whom might the Nittany Lions target in the coming weeks?
Early names buzzing around the industry include Charleston's Pat Kelsey, Colgate's Matt Langel and VCU's Mike Rhoades.
What about George Mason? The Patriots have a vacancy following Kim English's departure for Providence -- another job that was open just two years ago, and with a different athletic director than the previous hiring cycle. One can expect a slew of high-major assistant coaches to be linked to the job; Virginia's Jason Williford, Maryland's Tony Skinn, Miami's Kotie Kimble and Georgetown's Ivan Thomas are likely among them. I'd include current Mason assistant Duane Simpkins as well.
Amir Abdur-Rahim has become a hot name on the coaching carousel after leading Kennesaw State to the NCAA tournament -- and a near-upset of 3-seed Xavier in the first round. He's squarely in the mix at California, and he's also involved at South Florida.
March 22 updates
The carousel is beginning to spin very quickly, with programs around the country progressing in their searches and inching closer to an official hire.
Kim English is the clear target at Providence. While reports stating the George Mason head coach has finalized a deal are wide of the mark (for now), things are progressing in the right direction for him to end up in the Big East. If it happens, the former Tennessee assistant would be making the same career move his former boss, Rick Barnes, once made: George Mason to Providence.
Grant McCasland has been the favorite at Texas Tech since the job opened, and it appears to be headed that way soon. North Texas reached the NIT Final Four, though, so an official announcement might not come until next week. If this move comes to fruition, expect current North Texas assistant Ross Hodge to be the leader to take over as head coach.
New Mexico State looks to be zeroing in on Sam Houston's Jason Hooten as its top target. The Aggies shuffled through a number of candidates, as mentioned previously in this column, but Hooten has been in the mix since day one. He has had an incredible amount of regular-season success at Sam Houston, winning at least 20 games six times despite not going to an NCAA tournament. The Bearkats are 27-9 in the WAC since joining the league two seasons ago.
Some quick hitters while we wait for Micah Shrewsberry to decide where he's coaching next season:
With Mike Brey out of the mix at South Florida, one name generating some buzz is New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino. Would he leave a really good Mountain West job for USF if it means coming back East?
There's been plenty of speculation surrounding Greg McDermott's future at Creighton, but it's unclear where he could go. He was briefly linked to a potential Arizona State opening, but Bobby Hurley received a contract extension. He's on Notre Dame's list, but if Shrewsberry takes that job, that's off the market too. Could Texas be an option? Seems unlikely.
Speaking of speculation, Oregon's Dana Altman got the rumor mill flowing Tuesday night when he expressed his displeasure at the fan support at the Ducks' NIT game against Wisconsin. "If it's me, then get rid of me," Altman said. "If it's me, then make the change. Make the change. Somebody will hire me somewhere. I'll go coach junior college ball." There have been retirement rumors for the past couple of cycles, but it seems evident he wants to keep coaching. Will it be at Oregon?
March 21 updates
The new headliner of the carousel is Penn State's Micah Shrewsberry, and he holds the keys to the next phase of the coaching cycle.
After guiding the Nittany Lions to the NCAA tournament and a first-round win over Texas A&M, he emerged as a target at Notre Dame and Georgetown. When Providence's Ed Cooley took Georgetown on Monday, he then became an option for the Friars.
The latest buzz is that it's more likely he's choosing between two options: a move to Notre Dame or remaining at Penn State. The Nittany Lions have been in contract negotiations with Shrewsberry for the past couple of months, but his price, and leverage, have undoubtedly increased after the late-season surge.
Word is he's expected to decide in the next 36 hours or so.
March 20 updates
As expected, the carousel is starting to spin with the two protagonists of the current cycle -- Rick Pitino and Ed Cooley -- knocked out of the NCAA tournament.
Cooley accepted Georgetown's offer on Monday, with Providence announcing his departure earlier this afternoon and Georgetown announcing his official hire shortly after. Two names expected to be on the Friars' radar are Penn State's Micah Shrewsberry and George Mason's Kim English, sources told ESPN.
Pitino met with St. John's officials on Sunday night, and a deal was finalized on Monday afternoon, with an official press conference set for Tuesday.
The Big East now has two heavy-hitting coaches for two of its biggest name-brand programs, with the hopes that Cooley and Pitino can return the Hoyas and Red Storm, respectively, to their glory days.
A third big-name storyline, Mike Brey to South Florida, as first reported here last week, is also still on the cards. The two sides have had discussions, and there's mutual interest, but USF AD Michael Kelly told ESPN's Pete Thamel no deal is done yet.
Some other rumblings around the carousel:
Villanova assistant George Halcovage has long been rumored as the favorite at Bucknell, and no other serious names have emerged on the rumor mill.
Some names linked to the Buffalo job: Michigan assistant Saddi Washington, Xavier assistant Adam Cohen, former Butler coach LaVall Jordan and Alabama assistant Bryan Hodgson -- who was also an assistant coach for the Bulls under Nate Oats.
Hodgson has also been connected to the Arkansas State job.
Where will Iona turn with Pitino going to St. John's? Fairleigh Dickinson's Tobin Anderson is obviously a hot name right now, while Bryant's Jared Grasso was a longtime assistant for the Gaels under Tim Cluess.
Sam Houston's Jason Hooten is the name with the most buzz for New Mexico State, although the same names we wrote last week are also still involved: Nicholls' Austin Claunch, Montana State's Danny Sprinkle, Cal State Fullerton's Dedrique Taylor. One more interesting candidate has emerged in recent days: former Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner.
What's going on with Notre Dame? The Fighting Irish have had their head coach position open for nearly two months, but have yet to make a hire. Shrewsberry is one of the names atop their list, as is Colgate's Matt Langel. But Drake's Darian DeVries has continued to be linked to the position, and there have been some whispers about Creighton's Greg McDermott.
Similarly, Texas Tech has yet to progress much in its search. Paul Mills (Oral Roberts), Grant McCasland (North Texas) and Andy Kennedy (UAB) are still the buzziest names, but there remains speculation whether Tech will take a couple bigger swings. One name linked on Monday is Mississippi State's Chris Jans, who was also briefly mentioned with the Wichita State opening, but it's unclear whether he has any interest in leaving the SEC.
March 18 updates
Now we wait.
After Iona and Providence lost in their respective first-round games Friday night, the carousel should get some clarity in the coming days (or hours).
Rick Pitino is the still the heavy favorite and the No. 1 target at St. John's, although sources told ESPN no deal is finalized at this point. The two sides have been in discussions, but Pitino intimated Friday that he would prefer to meet in-person with school administrators before making a decision. It's worth noting no other serious candidates besides Pitino have emerged since the job opened.
Ed Cooley has yet to throw cold water on the links to the Georgetown vacancy, which has only fueled the rumor mill. He is the Hoyas' top target and is seriously considering the opportunity, with some sources indicating Providence has considered contingency plans if Cooley does make the move. Will he actually leave his hometown school at the end of the day? We should get an answer soon.
Some other intel surrounding the rest of the carousel:
While San José State's Tim Miles and UC Santa Barbara's Joe Pasternack were initially perceived as the favorites at California, other names have emerged, including Loyola Marymount's Stan Johnson and Boise State's Leon Rice.
Will any of the coaches at first-round-upset darlings be able to parlay their headline wins into better jobs? Furman's Bob Richey has been a hot name for a few carousel cycles, but it's unclear what might be attractive enough for him to jump this month. Wichita State has interest in Richey, per sources. Tobin Anderson has only been at Fairleigh Dickinson for one season, but one wonders if he could get in the mix at Iona if Pitino leaves. Could he also be a backup candidate at Temple if Colgate's Matt Langel ends up elsewhere?
March 15 updates
The top of the high-major coaching carousel is essentially on hold while Ed Cooley makes his decision. Georgetown made the Providence head coach its No. 1 target to replace Patrick Ewing and buzz has built over the past 24 hours that he's seriously considering making the move. Would Cooley ultimately go through and leave his hometown school, where he has coached for the past 12 years, for the last-place team in the same league -- even though it's inarguably a better job? That's the $5 million question. The Hoyas can offer more money, but it wouldn't be an astronomical difference.
Cooley's decision will impact several other jobs. Penn State's Micah Shrewsberry is perceived as the backup plan to Cooley at Georgetown, while he's also considered one of the two favorites at Notre Dame. Given his time with the Boston Celtics, it wouldn't be a shock to see Providence have Shrewsberry on its list to replace Cooley should he leave, too.
With Shrewsberry in a holding pattern, Colgate's Matt Langel is waiting, too. Langel is the favorite to replace Aaron McKie at Temple, but he's also right there with Shrewsberry for the Notre Dame job.
The rest of the high-major carousel is quiet for now, but it will start spinning quickly once Cooley makes up his mind.
Other nuggets:
Mike Brey is a possibility at South Florida. The former Notre Dame head coach could opt to take a year off from coaching -- or even retire -- but the Bulls have interest in him. And Brey does have family ties to the area, with his son coaching football at IMG Academy.
Andy Kennedy of UAB is picking up some steam as a sleeper candidate at Texas Tech. North Texas' Grant McCasland and Oral Roberts' Paul Mills still appear to be the favorites, but Kennedy's name has been buzzing the past couple of days.
Three names involved at Western Kentucky: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Steve Lutz, Northern Kentucky's Darrin Horn and Morehead State's Preston Spradlin.
New Mexico State continues to go through its process, with several coaches still on its list. Some names generating buzz in Las Cruces include Nicholls's Austin Claunch, Sam Houston State's Jason Hooten and Montana State's Danny Sprinkle.
At Wofford, interim head coach Dwight Perry is still a candidate to have the interim tag removed, but one name with some momentum is former Chattanooga coach John Shulman, who is now at Division II Alabama-Huntsville.
March 13 updates
Two power conference openings were filled Monday, with Ole Miss officially announcing Chris Beard as its next head coach and Georgia Tech finalizing a deal with Boston Celtics assistant Damon Stoudamire.
Stoudamire quickly emerged as the favorite for the Yellow Jackets, given his head coaching experience at Pacific, his time recruiting at the high-major level at Arizona and Memphis and his NBA ties. He should be able to more effectively recruit the talent-fertile Atlanta area. Arizona State's Bobby Hurley, Furman's Bob Richey and Charleston's Pat Kelsey among others were linked to the job, but Tech moved quickly for Stoudamire after firing Josh Pastner on Friday.
Some other quick-hitters from around the carousel:
Rick Pitino is still the heavy favorite for St. John's. That one is expected to speed up if and when Iona loses in the NCAA tournament.
Penn State's Micah Shrewsberry, who guided the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten title game and the NCAA tournament, is one of the leaders at both Notre Dame and Georgetown. Other coaches are involved at both places, but Shrewsberry's season made a strong impression on both schools.
Two names buzzing at Georgia Southern, according to sources, are former UMass coach Matt McCall and Nicholls' Austin Claunch.
Nothing much new at Texas, although Rodney Terry continues to make it difficult for the Longhorns to go with someone different. Texas just won the Big 12 tournament and earned a 2-seed in the NCAA tournament. If the Longhorns get to the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight, are they really letting him go?
Grant McCasland and Paul Mills are still the most likely names at Texas Tech, but it does sound like the Red Raiders are hoping to take some swings.
March 11 updates
No power conference programs opened up on Saturday, but Wichita State and Western Kentucky will both be sought-after positions given the resources and consistent success multiple coaches have had at both schools.
Wichita State: With speculation building around Isaac Brown's status over the past couple of months, Mississippi State's Chris Jans was a name heavily linked to the job. He spent 10 years at Wichita in two separate stints as an assistant coach. But would he leave an SEC job, where he has the Bulldogs in position for the NCAA tournament, for the AAC? If not Jans, potential names include North Texas' Grant McCasland, Oral Roberts' Paul Mills, Houston assistant Kellen Sampson, interim Texas coach Rodney Terry and former Maryland (and Wichita State) coach Mark Turgeon.
Western Kentucky: Talent was never the issue under Rick Stansbury, who constantly brought in highly touted recruits and productive transfers. But his teams never lived up to the on-paper hype, going to zero NCAA tournaments in seven seasons. Two early names buzzing for the Hilltoppers are Morehead State's Preston Spradlin and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Steve Lutz.
March 10 updates
Georgetown, California, Texas and any other openings can cross Dennis Gates off their list. The Missouri head coach signed a contract extension on Friday that will keep him in Columbia through the 2028-29 season. More importantly, it also increases his buyout -- which industry sources already considered prohibitive before this new deal -- to north of $25 million. Gates had been briefly linked to the Georgetown opening on Friday, while his alma mater, California, opened on Thursday.
A couple more quick-hitters heading into Saturday:
Don't be surprised to see Holy Cross garner interest from bigger names than expected for its head coach opening. The Crusaders can offer a strong salary and sources have indicated Vermont's John Becker and Towson's Pat Skerry are among the candidates they could pursue.
East Tennessee State opened Friday. Early names there include UNC Asheville's Mike Morrell, Morehead State's Preston Spradlin, Wake Forest assistant Brooks Savage and Tennessee assistant Justin Gainey.
Early speculation at American centers around Virginia assistant Jason Williford, although it's unclear if anything will materialize.
There's some buzz that High Point is attempting an audacious pursuit of Utah State's Ryan Odom. The Panthers have deep pockets and great facilities, and Odom is a North Carolina native who could look to come back to the East Coast. That said, would he really leave an NCAA tournament team in the Mountain West to take over a Big South rebuild?
Talks between Will Wade and McNeese continue to progress, although there's no deal done yet.
A couple more to monitor in the coming days: Western Kentucky and Wichita State.
A pair of big jobs opened on Friday, with St. John's and Georgia Tech making the expected decisions to part ways with Mike Anderson and Josh Pastner, respectively. Here's the early buzz at each school:
St. John's: The Red Storm's top option is Iona's Rick Pitino, who would tick every box for the fan base: big name, New York native, proven winner. The buzz about a potential Pitino move has grown considerably over the past 48 hours, although reports saying an agreement is imminent seem wide of the mark. Interestingly, Texas Tech has also shown interest in Pitino. While there's some interest from Pitino's side due to the Red Raiders' resources, it's hard to imagine him picking Tech over St. John's. If he and the Red Storm don't come to an agreement, other potential names include Arizona State's Bobby Hurley, Hofstra's Speedy Claxton, Colgate's Matt Langel, Pitt's Jeff Capel and Oklahoma State's Mike Boynton -- although the latter's buyout is considered prohibitive.
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets haven't had sustained success since the Bobby Cremins era, save for a national title game run under Paul Hewitt in 2004. It's not an easy job, but it is in maybe the most talent-rich area in the country, which makes it an attractive option for some coaches. The two names that have been linked to this one in recent weeks are Tulane's Ron Hunter, who led Georgia State to two NCAA tournaments before embarking on an impressive rebuild with the Green Wave, and Kennesaw State's Amir Abdur-Rahim, an Atlanta native with strong recruiting ties who just led the Owls to the NCAA tournament after winning one game just three seasons ago. There have also been whispers this could be a place Bobby Hurley tries to make a push for, if he leaves Tempe.
In a move that surprised several industry insiders, Jerod Haase will return as Stanford's head coach next season, as ESPN reported Thursday night. It's the second year in a row the school has felt the need to announce that it's keeping Haase, which is relatively unusual. Aside from putting Haase squarely in the crosshairs entering his eighth season at the helm, what are the other ramifications? Does Utah Valley head coach Mark Madsen, former Stanford star and the perceived favorite for the job, decide to wait around another year, or could he jump to another opening? He led the Wolverines to the WAC regular-season title this season, and a conference tournament title could make him an attractive option elsewhere.
March 9 updates
Two more high-major jobs opened Thursday. Here's what we're hearing in the first few hours.
Georgetown: The Hoyas made the difficult move of parting ways with Patrick Ewing on Thursday, and now they'll likely have to move away from the John Thompson coaching tree for the first time in more than 50 years. We expect Georgetown to make a run at Ed Cooley. The Providence head coach developed a relationship with the late Big John over the course of his career, and has done a fantastic job at Providence. Would he leave a place he built into a consistent Big East contender, in an area he's lived his entire life, for the worst team in the league? It's not as far-fetched as it seems. The wild card is Rick Pitino, although he's going to be the top target for St. John's if the Red Storm move on from Mike Anderson. Could the Hoyas try to jump into the mix? Other potential names linked to the job in recent weeks include Penn State's Micah Shrewsberry, NC State's Kevin Keatts, Pitt's Jeff Capel, Yale's James Jones and outgoing Notre Dame coach Mike Brey.
California: Mark Fox is out after four seasons in Berkeley, a move that had been expected since last offseason. The two names consistently mentioned with this job over the second half of this season are UC Santa Barbara's Joe Pasternack, who led the Gauchos to the NCAA tournament in 2021 and a regular-season title this season, and San José State's Tim Miles, who did one of the best coaching jobs in the country this season. If Cal wanted to swing big, it could try to tempt Saint Mary's boss Randy Bennett or Boise State's Leon Rice, but as things stand, Pasternack and Miles are the frontrunners.
March 8 updates
The big openings
Texas: There hasn't been much movement with this one since it opened in January. John Calipari was initially linked, but that didn't have any legs. There were overtures made to NBA coaches, including Quin Snyder, but Snyder accepted a job with the Atlanta Hawks. Houston's Kelvin Sampson was high on the list, but that doesn't appear to be happening, either. TCU coach Jamie Dixon's name has made the rounds, due to his ties to athletic director Chris Del Conte, as has Kansas State's Jerome Tang. Interim head coach Rodney Terry has done a fantastic job getting the Longhorns to within a game of Kansas in the Big 12 race, but sources indicate he would need a very deep run in the NCAA tournament to even have a chance of keeping the job permanently.
Notre Dame: Another job that hasn't progressed too far in its search, but has maintained fairly consistent names over the past six weeks. Penn State's Micah Shrewsberry has been heavily linked to the job and appears to be one of the favorites (the Nittany Lions' pair of buzzer-beating wins last week could push them into the NCAA tournament). Another picking up steam is Colgate's Matt Langel, who has the Raiders in their fourth NCAA tournament in five seasons after winning the Patriot League yet again. Ohio State's Chris Holtmann has been mentioned as an option, but sources told ESPN he's not currently involved. Drake's Darian DeVries is likely a Plan B name. Creighton's Greg McDermott has been linked in recent days, but it's unclear if it will amount to anything.
Ole Miss: Of the three Power 5 jobs currently open, this one seems most likely to close soon. The Rebels fired Davis before the end of the regular season, generally a move that allows a search to get a head start on the rest of the potential openings. The one name that immediately jumped to the head of the queue is former Texas coach Chris Beard, who was suspended and ultimately fired by the Longhorns following his arrest on a domestic family violence charge. Those charges were later dropped. We reported Wednesday that Beard had emerged as the leading candidate for the job and the two sides have had communication. Ole Miss officials are in the process of doing their due diligence. If it doesn't work out, FAU's Dusty May and North Texas ' Grant McCasland are also on the list.
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders have been on a roller coaster the last 12 months, starting with Mark Adams landing an extension last spring, after his first season as head coach. But this season was a disappointment on the court, leading to unhappiness among boosters and influential people around the program. Then Adams was suspended on March 5 for what the school called an "inappropriate, unacceptable, and racially insensitive comment." Adams officially stepped down on Wednesday night, meaning the Red Raiders will look for a fresh start with someone else. The two names buzzing early are North Texas' McCasland and Oral Roberts' Paul Mills. Both are former Baylor assistants and both will be linked to plenty of jobs this offseason after consistent success over the past couple of years. Mills also has an ace in his back pocket: ORU star Max Abmas still has a year of eligibility. Another possible name is Texas interim head coach Rodney Terry.
What's next?
Four power conference jobs to monitor as they lose in their conference tournaments are Georgetown, California, Stanford and Georgia Tech. All four jobs are expected to open, with the Hoyas' position the most attractive of the group.
Other big jobs to keep an eye on include St. John's, Washington, Wichita State and UCF.
Arizona State's Bobby Hurley only has a year left on his current contract and has already been linked with potential openings at St. John's and Georgia Tech.
Meanwhile, Clemson appears more likely to keep Brad Brownell than make a coaching change.
Rounding up the latest chatter
Most of the speculation surrounding McNeese centers on former LSU coach Will Wade, who was fired by the Tigers last year after the school received a notice of allegations that included five alleged Level I NCAA violations. But Wade's name has been linked to a few different openings and sources have indicated that he's not a done deal to McNeese.
Northwestern State's Corey Gipson was immediately the hot name at Austin Peay. Gipson played for two seasons at Austin Peay, winning two regular-season titles and playing in one NCAA tournament. He's only been at Northwestern State for one season, but finished second in the Southland and guided the Demons to the Southland tournament title game on Wednesday night.
Due to its resources and facilities, High Point has drawn plenty of interest from coaches at different levels of the game. The Panthers began reaching out to candidates last weekend and seem to be working quickly through their process.
Names to watch at Green Bay include John Tharp at Hillsdale (Division II), former Cincinnati head coach John Brannen, Northern State's Saul Phillips (Division II), SIU Edwardsville head coach Brian Barone and college basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb.
A few names to monitor at Wofford: Virginia Tech assistant Kevin Giltner, Radford assistant Shane Nichols and interim boss Dwight Perry.