Nebraska officially parted ways with men's basketball head coach Tim Miles after seven seasons in Lincoln.

HuskerOnline has compiled a hot board list of potential coaching candidates who NU and athletic director Bill Moos may consider.

This list will continue to be updated as new names emerge through the coaching search. (List is no particular order)

Why it would work: This one might be the worst-kept secret in the country, as reports have been flying for weeks that Hoiberg was Nebraska's No. 1 target. This would be the biggest home-run hire the Huskers could hope for. Hoiberg would bring as much clout as NU could get in a head coach, and his proven success in building Iowa State into a national power and NBA experience give him an ideal resume. He's also got strong ties to the state of Nebraska and the Husker basketball program. He was born in Lincoln, his parents both grew up in Lincoln and graduated from UNL, and his grandfather, Jerry Bush, was the Husker men's basketball coach from 1954-63. His niece worked in NU's basketball offices under former head coach Tim Miles.

Why it wouldn't work: The biggest hurdle standing in the way of Nebraska landing Hoiberg is whether he could be drawn away by a more established program. Every school with a job opening would be interested in him, including UCLA, Alabama, and possibly - if Steve Prohm takes the Alabama job - Iowa State. Hoiberg also publicly voiced his distaste of playing the recruiting game after leaving ISU, and that is an area that's as important as anything in turning Nebraska into a winner.

Why it would work: All Chris Jans does is win. After making his name as a successful junior college coach (going 159-45 at three schools), Jans spent 10 seasons as an assistant at Illinois State and Wichita State. He landed his first Division I head coaching job at Bowling Green in 2014 and went 21-12 with a trip to the CIT. The next year he took over at New Mexico State and has guided the Aggies to two-straight WAC titles and consecutive NCAA Tournament berths. He's also a native of Fairbank, Iowa, so he has Midwestern roots.

Why it wouldn't work: As much as Jans has won, none of it has come at a high-major level. While he took NMSU to back-to-back Big Dances, his teams were bounced in the first round both times. There's also some concerns about his past, as he was fired at Bowling Green after an investigation into an alcohol-related incident. The Aggies also just increased the retention bonus in his contact to o approximately $244,000 should Jans return for a third season.

Why it would work: Nebraska has gone the up-and-coming mid-major route in its last four hires, and none have gotten the program to the next level. That’s why many NU fans want a coach that’s a proven winner in the high-major ranks, and Kelvin Sampson fits that bill. A head coach at Washington State, Oklahoma, and Indiana as well as an assistant for seven years in the NBA, Sampson has exactly the resume the Huskers should be looking for. He’s a two-time national Coach of the Year (1995, 2002) and four-time conference COY (1991, ’95, 2018, ’19). He’s led his teams to 15 NCAA Tournaments, including four Sweet 16s, two Elite Eights, and one Final Four. Most recently he turned Houston into a national power and took the Cougars to consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including a trip to the Sweet 16 this year.

Why it wouldn't work: Assuming Sampson wants to get back to the high-major level, Nebraska will be an enticing option to allow him to return to the Big Ten and possibly double his salary at Houston. However, there’s some baggage that comes with him. Sampson was forced to resign from Indiana in 2008 amid allegations of NCAA violations and has given a five-year show-cause as punishment, which kept him out of the college game until he was hired at Houston in 2013. At Oklahoma, his program was placed under a three-year investigation for recruiting violations, mostly tied to “impermissible phone calls” made to recruits. His situation pales in comparison to what’s transpired in college basketball over the past couple year, but it’s baggage nonetheless.

Why it would work: Nate Oats emerged as arguably the most sought-after mid-major coaches in the country after the job he’s done the past five years turning Buffalo into a legitimate top-25 program after taking over when Bobby Hurley went to Arizona State. A native of Wisconsin, Oats is familiar with the Big Ten footprint and has established an identity with the Bulls that is as entertaining to watch as it is effective. He’s the two-time defending MAC coach of the year for a reason, and he’ll have Buffalo looking to remain a fixture in the NCAA Tournament.

Why it wouldn't work: Like Altman and Oregon, Buffalo made sure to lock Oats up as best it could with a long contract extension that runs through the 2024 season. Again, that doesn’t mean high-major offers won’t still come in, but interested schools will need to be ready to open the checkbook to pay Oats’ buyout. If Nebraska really wants him, the money won’t be an issue, but with how hot of a candidate Oats is right now, he’s going to have plenty of programs to choose from, if he wants to leave Buffalo at all.

Why it would work: Steve Forbes has only been a Division I head coach since he was hired at East Tennessee State in 2015, but he has plenty of high-major experience on his resume. An assistant at Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Wichita State, Forbes has been on winning staffs everywhere he’s been and has worked under the likes of Billy Gillispie, Bruce Pearl, and Gregg Marshall. Forbes made his name with those teams with his work as a recruiter, helping pull in two top-10 classes at A&M and three top-10 classes at Tennessee. As a head coach, Forbes went 62-6 at Northwest Florida State and ended the 2018-19 season with a 100-38 record in four years at ETSU.

Why it wouldn't work: The lack of head coaching experience is a big red flag, even with his credentials as a high-major assistant and recruiter. His connection to Pearl is also a concern given he was on the Tennessee staff that was fired in 2011 in connection with recruiting violations. More than anything, though, it’s hard to see Nebraska going back to a candidate with no high-major head coaching experience, especially given the pressure around the program to consistently compete in the Big Ten Conference.

Why it would work: Few former assistant coaches have been as beloved by Nebraska fans as Craig Smith. He was Tim Miles’ right-hand for nearly 20 years and helped guide the Huskers to their first NCAA Tournament berth in 15 years back in 2014. Smith left NU for the head coaching job at South Dakota following that season, and Husker fans have been keeping close tabs on him ever since. Smith turned the Coyotes around in a major way in his four years there, going 48-21 with two postseason appearances over his final two seasons, winning the Summit League title and earning the conference’s Coach of the Year honors in 2016-17. Smith then took over at Utah State this season and again had an immediate impact, as the Aggies went 25-6 and won a share of the Mountain West title.

Why it wouldn't work: It’d be hard to find a much more awkward dynamic than to have the guy who coached with Miles for most of his career and is a close personal friend be the one who takes Miles’ job after an ugly split at Nebraska. It’s not out of the question, as it would obviously be a tremendous opportunity for Smith and one many NU fans would welcome with open arms. But Smith also has limited head coaching experience, none of which coming at the high-major level. He’s another candidate who will have a few other intriguing options in the next year or two if he’s able to keep USU at its current pace, so holding off a little longer might be in his best interest.

Why it would work: When it comes to Nebraska's links to the NBA, Tyronn Lue is as good as it gets. After starring for the Huskers as an all-conference guard from 1995-98, Lue was one of the Huskers last NBA draft picks and went on to play 12 years in the league and won two titles with the Los Angeles Lakers. His NBA success didn't end there, either, as he went on to be an assistant coach for six seasons before taking over as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers when he was hand-picked by superstar LeBron James. He coached the Cavs to an NBA title in 2016 before being let go last year. That NBA profile would go a long way in giving Nebraska national recognition and a presence on the recruiting trail.

Why it wouldn't work: While Lue was a fairly successful NBA coach, the reality is he hasn't been involved in the college game in over two decades. College basketball is a completely different animal than the pros, and many coaches have struggled mightily with the transition of going from one to the next in either direction. He's never recruited a player or had to make sure his guys go to class or had to attend countless meet-and-greets with boosters and fans. Coaching is one thing, but handling all of the other responsibilities that come with being at the college level make it a whole different story.