From ESPN
Likely to open
Nebraska: Tim Miles seems to have come to terms with the idea that these will be his final few weeks in Lincoln, and the names of potential replacements are already floating. Two former NBA coaches are among those mentioned: Tyronn Lue and Fred Hoiberg. Lue played for the Cornhuskers and saw his jersey retired. Hoiberg is looking to get back into college basketball. There are also a number of mid-major coaches in the mix, including South Dakota State's T.J. Otzelberger and Buffalo's Nate Oats. One name to watch is Oregon's Dana Altman, and there's growing buzz that he would at least listen if approached. Altman is from Nebraska and was highly successful for 16 seasons at Creighton.
Texas A&M: Another one that seems like a foregone conclusion, A&M will attract plenty of candidates to replace Billy Kennedy. If head football coach Jimbo Fisher is any indication, the Aggies are not afraid to spend money. Buzz Williams has been the rumored favorite for a long time, and his effort this season with Virginia Tech has only improved his candidacy. He's a Texas native and spent two seasons as an assistant coach in College Station. Kelvin Sampson is another name that will surely be linked. Sampson has been among the best coaches in the country this season, and he has proven that he can win in the state. Could the Aggies be intrigued by Chris Beard? He has done a tremendous job turning Texas Tech into a Big 12 title contender.
Wake Forest: Danny Manning has a contract guaranteed through 2025, and while there's no definitive amount on the buyout, one can be assured it's in the eight figures. Either way, the latest buzz out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is that Manning is likely coaching his final few weeks for the Demon Deacons. So who's next? Given the massive buyout, it's unclear how much Wake Forest will want to spend on its replacement. The Demon Deacons will likely hope to lure a high-major name, but if that doesn't work, expect the long list of successful mid-major coaches in the Southeast to fill the candidate pool: Wofford's Mike Young, UNC Greensboro's Wes Miller, Winthrop's Pat Kelsey and Charleston's Earl Grant.
Washington State: Despite the Cougars' sweep of Arizona State and Arizona on the road in early February, it sounds as though Ernie Kent's five-year tenure in Pullman could be coming to an end. Washington State hasn't had a winning conference campaign since Bennett was at the helm in 2008-09. Boise State's Leon Rice makes sense, as he attended Washington State and has led the Broncos to two NCAA tournament appearances, though they're struggling mightily this season. One interesting name could be Mark Fox, who was fired from Georgia last spring and didn't coach this season. But he has experience out West during his time as a head coach at Nevada and an assistant at Washington.
Could go either way
Boston College: This one is up in the air, though some think the victory over Louisville in late February was enough to save Jim Christian. Christian hasn't finished .500 in the ACC since taking over nearly five seasons ago and couldn't build on last season's 19-win campaign after the loss of Jerome Robinson. The thinking among most people in the Northeast is that Boston College is a very difficult job, a program that hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 2009. The Eagles would likely have to look at mid-majors if they did want to replace Christian, with Vermont's John Becker, Charleston's Grant, St. Bonaventure's Mark Schmidt, Buffalo's Oats and Stony Brook's Jeff Boals among the possibilities. There's a segment of the fan base that wants Jared Dudley, too.
California: It has been only two seasons at the helm for Wyking Jones, but it might be two and out, despite the two-game win streak the Bears take into Thursday. The athletic department is in financial trouble, and Jones' buyout is reportedly $3 million. A couple of names that surfaced during the search when Jones was hired two years ago will likely jump back into the mix: Nevada's Eric Musselman and Montana's Travis DeCuire. Musselman withdrew from the search two years ago, but he loses his entire starting five this spring and could be ready to make the jump. DeCuire was an assistant at Cal for six seasons and led Montana to the NCAA tournament last season before leading his team to first place in the Big Sky this season. There are also the Kidd rumors.
SMU: This seems early, but the whispers have been getting louder down the stretch for Tim Jankovich and the Mustangs. They've lost eight of their past nine and have won 11 conference games the past two seasons combined. It's an attractive job, thanks to the renovated arena and the talent-rich area that surrounds Dallas. Musselman has been mentioned as a potential name, and there is also some buzz that Alabama's Avery Johnson could be on the short list. The American Athletic Conference has made some big-time hires in recent years; could pressure be on SMU to be next?
UNLV: After a 2016 search that saw the Runnin' Rebels hire Beard only to see him leave for Texas Tech three weeks later, UNLV might be ready to move on from Marvin Menzies after just three seasons. Due to the school's location and history, an assortment of high-profile names are likely to be linked. Rick Pitino will, of course, be mentioned, and Lue and Kidd are two more names that could be targets -- assuming one of them doesn't get the Lakers job.