Four of the potential candidates to replace Lindsay Whalen as Gophers women's basketball coach

At Thursday's news conference, Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle suggested that, like with any sport, he had a list of potential candidates to become the new women's basketball coach.

Of course, he did not share that list.

But as the Gophers look to replace Lindsay Whalen, here are some names that might be a good fit at Minnesota, either because of direct ties to the state or a track record of having recruited here.

Megan Duffy, Marquette

In her fourth year coaching the Golden Eagles, Duffy's .730 winning percentage (84-31) is the best in program history. She was Big East coach of the year after going 24-8 in her first season there. An Ohio native, Duffy played at Notre Dame and, briefly, in the WNBA, where two of her three seasons were spent with the Lynx. Former Stillwater High School star Liza Karlen is a starter for Duffy.

Aaron Johnston, South Dakota State

The Pine Island, Minn., native has amassed a 567-184 record at South Dakota state, with 15 postseason bids and 10 NCAA appearances. Coached SDSU to the Sweet 16 in 2019. Well-known recruiter in the area, has five Minnesotans on a roster that is 25-5 entering the Summit League tournament this weekend.

Carrie Moore, Harvard

In her first year coaching the Crimson, Harvard went 15-10 in the regular season. A Michigan native, Moore has extensive assistant coaching experience, with stints at Creighton, Princeton, North Carolina and, most recently, Michigan.

Kristen Gillespie, Illinois State

Gillespie, who recruits the Midwest extensively, has a 109-68 record in six seasons at ISU. She coached her team to its first postseason berth in eight years in the spring of 2021. Last year Illinois State made the NCAA tournament. Gillespie was the starting point guard and captain of the North Carolina State team that, under legendary coach Kay Yow, advanced to the Women's Final Four in 1998.