KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — There are several names circulating as potential candidates to replace former Lady Vols head coach Holly Warlick.
UT announced it was parting ways with Warlick Wednesday afternoon.
"Holly and I met this afternoon, and I informed her of the decision to change leadership within the program," UT Director of Athletics Philip Fulmer said. "Holly has dedicated most of her adult life to the University of Tennessee and the Lady Vols program. She loves Tennessee, and Tennessee needs to always love her back. She was front and center as this program developed into the model for women's intercollegiate excellence."
►READ MORE: UT parts ways with Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick
The Lady Vols have only seen four head coaches since the team entered the modern era of college basketball, and UT never had to look far to find a successor for each. Joan Cronan started the legendary legacy -- leading the team to their first-ever National Invitational College Basketball Tournament in 1969.
Margaret Hutson followed her at the start of the 1970s when she began teaching physical education at UT -- whose success and efforts to legitimize the women's team under the university's eyes paved the way for Pat Summitt to take the Lady Vols to unforeseen heights while working as a graduate assistant.
Summitt's legendary career led the Lady Vols to exert perpetual dominance over the sport, setting the coaching bar incredibly high -- not just for future Lady Vols coaches, but for NCAA women's basketball coaches all over by being one of the catalysts that electrified the competitive atmosphere and popularity of the women's sport.
After being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, Pat announced in 2012 she was handing her whistle over to her protege and friend Holly Warlick, who had helped her forge the near-invincible status of the Lady Vols as a long-time assistant coach. UT's former AD Dave Hart said at the time that no search was ever needed -- Warlick's decades of success with the Lady Vols alongside Pat made her the clear-cut choice.
Nearly seven years since that day, Warlick is now out of the job -- but the unfortunate circumstance of her firing means there's no one waiting in the eaves to take over this time around.
UT now finds itself in uncharted territory for the first time since the Lady Vols rose to prominence.
"We don't have a game plan for a search for a Lady Vol basketball coach. It's never been done," Maria Cornelius, author and Lady Vol journalist, said.
Cornelius has been around and documenting the program for many years and says UT will be scouting for an experienced coach regardless of if they are a familiar face on Rocky Top.
"There needs to be someone that has performed at a high level and can bring this fan base together," Cornelius said.
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Cornelius said her first pick is a former Vol.
"I think you have to look at Kellie Harper," she said.
Kellie Jolly Harper is the current head coach at Missouri State University. Her team is still alive in the NCAA tournament, and she led the Lady Vols to a national championship as a point guard during her junior year of college in the late 90s.
"If I were in the position, Kellie would be one of my first phone calls. She will also be getting calls from other schools," Cornelius said.
Her second pick would be another VFL and Oak Ridge native, Nikki Fargas (who Lady Vols will remember as Nikki Caldwell). She's now the head coach for the women's team at LSU and spent time as the coach at UCLA.
"I think if Nikki is in an environment like Tennessee, with all the resources and support Tennessee would offer, she would do a great job," Cornelius said.
In terms of a third prospect, Cornelius thinks there's certainly one Rocky Top outsider who has potential.
That would be Tina Langley, the head coach who's credited for putting the Rice Owls back on the women's basketball map. After graduating from University of West Alabama in 1996, she went on to start her coaching career while earning her master's at UT -- but that 'T' neither stands for Tennessee nor Texas. She coached at the University of Toledo.
Cornelius said while she doesn't know who will take over, she has a strong feeling it will be a woman. She says it's certainly possible UT could hire a male, though (Louisville coach Jeff Walz addressed rumors of this on his end before Wednesday's announcement).
However, she believes Pat Summitt's emphasis on the importance of empowering women will tip the scales to ensure women will continue leading the Lady Vols to victory in the future.