Who might be next in line to lead the Georgia basketball program?

Georgia is ready to begin searching for a new basketball coach for the first time in nine years. When the Bulldogs hired Mark Fox, he wasn’t their first call. Others, such as Mike Anderson and Jeff Capel, had turned down overtures from the Bulldogs before Georgia lured Fox away from Nevada. This time around, Georgia is in a much better position to hire a great coach. The roster is in much better shape and there are no NCAA issues surrounding the program.

Where might the Bulldogs look as they head in a new direction?

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Much of the speculation in recent weeks has been that if Georgia makes a change they will turn to former Indiana coach Tom Crean. That’s certainly a strong possibility. After hiring the last two coaches from mid-major programs, it would make sense that Georgia wants to hire a more established coach this time around. Seeing Rick Barnes work magic at Tennessee after being let go at Texas might influence the way the Bulldogs think here.

Crean’s tenure at Indiana is looked at differently depending on whom you talk to. Some will talk about the mess he inherited and how he built the Hoosiers back up from the bottom to the point where he won two regular season Big 10 titles in his last six years. Crean also took Marquette to the Final Four with Dwyane Wade. Crean's detractors will say he had one of the best jobs in basketball and couldn’t win at the highest level. They will also say he couldn’t keep top Indiana talent home and is hard to be around. As with most things, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

If Georgia wants to play this safe, another former Big Ten coach could be the choice. Thad Matta had great success at Ohio State before he and the school mutually agreed to part ways because of his health. Word coming from Matta’s camp is that a year off has helped him a great deal and he wants back into coaching if the right opportunity presents itself.

Georgia might be that spot for Matta. First of all, his brother, Greg Matta, is the head coach at North Cobb Christian in Kennesaw, Ga. The Bulldogs have a roster with which he could have early success. Over his entire tenure at Ohio State, Mattta proved to be a very capable recruiter, landing several highly ranked classes. He has a great reputation among coaches and would have plenty of assistants hoping he calls. But with Matta, it all comes down to whether the school feels he’s healthy. If he is and if Georgia wants an established name, he could get the nod.

Georgia’s last two hires came from the mid-major ranks and Georgia’s current athletic director’s track record suggests that’s his preferred route. If that’s the case, UNC-Greensboro’s Wes Miller and College of Charleston’s Earl Grant seem like logical choices.

Miller took over as the interim head coach at UNC-Greensboro at 29 years old in the middle of the season and went on to be named the Southern Conference's Coach of the Year that season. After a few down years building the program, Miller led the Spartans to a share of the regular season title last season. This year, his team won the regular season title outright and cut down the nets in the SoCon tournament. The former North Carolina walk-on and his staff have ties to Georgia and have recruited the state well.

Grant also has done a terrific job building up his program. Taking over at Charleston four years ago after allegations of player abuse led to Doug Wojcik’s dismissal, the program has trended upward for four years now until this year, when it won the regular season and postseason championships. Grant cut his teeth as an assistant coach under the likes of Gregg Marshall and Brad Brownell, and has recruited the Peach State heavily his entire coaching career. He spent his college years playing at Georgia College.

Jonas Hayes returned to Georgia as a member of Mark Fox’s staff six years ago and became an assistant coach five years ago. The first recruit he signed, Yante Maten, was just voted as SEC Player of the Year by the Associated Press.

Hayes has been at the forefront of Georgia’s recruiting efforts the past few years and is very highly thought of around the state. He could be instrumental in helping Georgia get Ashton Hagans back in the fold. He has no head coaching experience, which would be the biggest knock against him, but Georgia’s current football coach, Kirby Smart, is also a popular former player known as a great recruiter.