Missouri used to be good at basketball. Like really, really good.
They won 153 games between 2008-14, made five NCAA tournaments and were routinely ranked in the top 10. Then Frank Haith bolted for Tulsa before NCAA violations were revealed and the Tigers took an immediate nosedive.
Through two-plus seasons, Kim Anderson has won 24 total games, or one more than their lowest single-season total during the previous six-year run. He walked into a tough situation and the Tigers' athletic department issues haven't helped. Nonetheless, it's hard to keep your job with a .300 win percentage.
If Anderson is fired after another dismal season, who might replace him?
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Travis Ford
Current Position: Head Coach, Saint Louis
Missouri went in-state in hiring Anderson from Central Missouri. Could they do it again with Travis Ford?
It's never wise to bet on a coach leaving after one season but maybe the 50-year-old Ford couldn't pass up an immediate return to high-major basketball at his former school. He played at Missouri one season (1989-90) before transferring to Kentucky and coached against the Tigers in the Big 12 for four seasons. It's anyone's guess if those ties mean anything.
Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire
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Kenny Payne
Current Position: Assistant Coach, Kentucky
A master recruiter, Kenny Payne has been beside John Calipari at Kentucky since 2010, luring elite talent that's led to four Final Fours and one national championship.
Though he's 50 years old, he has only 13 years of college basketball coaching experience (Oregon assistant, 2004-09). Payne has been mentioned for head coaching openings, including Mississippi State in 2012, and his stock will only rise as an elite assistant at an elite program.
Kentucky Athletics
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Saul Phillips
Current Position: Head Coach, Ohio
Saul Phillips brilliantly guided North Dakota State from D2 to D1 — won 134 games in seven seasons and reached the NCAA tournament in their first year of eligibility — before leaving for Ohio in 2014.
After one awful year, he went 23-12 in 2015-16, narrowly missing the MAC title and tourney berth. Phillips played and learned under Bo Ryan and has been lauded for his defensive schemes.
Ohio U Athletics
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Larry Davis
Current Position: Assistant Coach, Cincinnati
Larry Davis' heading coaching stock skyrocketed during the 2014-15 season while filling in for Mick Cronin during the Cincinnati head coach's medical-related leave of absence.
Also a revered recruiter, Davis has landed most of the Bearcats' starts recently, including Jacob Evans, Gary Clark and Troy Caupain. At 60 years old, he'd be another older hire for Missouri, but one they might have to settle for.
Bearcats Athletics
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Tommy Amaker
Current Position: Head Coach, Harvard
This is a HUGE leap.
Tommy Amaker can do better. The 51-year-old has worked wonders at Harvard, winning 65 percent of his games and reaching four NCAA tournaments — they had zero since 1946 until Amaker arrived. He has no reason to leave the Crimson for a difficult job and could either remain comfortable in Cambridge or wait for a big-time opportunity.
But who knows, maybe Missouri writes him a blank check?
Harvard Athletics
