HOO Will Be Virginia's Next Basketball Coach: Fran McCaffery?

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

So my last selection in our series started a wee bit of controversy.

Now with the recent news that Virginia Commonwealth's Anthony Grant was taking the reigns of the Crimson Tide basketball team in Tuscaloosa we have one candidate officially off the board.

With Oklahoma's Elite Eight appearance, Sooner coach Jeff Capel may quickly become out of reach as well.

With no official overtures towards Tubby Smith the Virginia fan base is quickly growing worried.

Can you blame them?

Virginia unceremoniously ousted Dave Leitao just two weeks ago and people logically thought that athletic director Craig Littlepage was prepared to make a marquee hiring.

Well now the question must be asked—what if he can't?

Does Littlepage have a Plan B if the big names he has courted turn him down?

Well no fear Mr. Littlepage, I have you covered.  Two names have emerged as darkhorse candidates and, unlike the Xavier debate, these men would love the opportunity to come to Virginia and restore the program.

Will Virginia love them?

Well let's start with a man that was a few minutes from a Sweet Sixteen appearance just one week ago—Siena coach Fran McCaffery.

WHY MCCAFFERY WILL COME TO UVA

Even if McCaffery may not have the name recognition as some of the hot commodities in the coaching carousel, he certainly has some attractive qualities.

First, McCaffery knows the ACC area well.  McCaffery spent six years as head coach of UNC-Greensboro. 

While there he was able to establish contacts and pipelines that could only be improved with a job in the nation's most prestigious conference and a 131-million dollar arena to boot.

McCaffery is currently the coach at Siena, having led the team to two straight MAAC titles and three straight seasons of 20+ wins.

He helped orchestrate the fifth best turnaround in the history of college basketball, showing an ability to turn around a program quickly.

With Virginia facing its lowest win total in almost 40 years, it seems like a good quality to have.

McCaffery has also notched some impressive victories in these past two seasons, beginning with a win over the 20th ranked Stanford Cardinal last year.

The Lopez brothers were no match for the upstart Saints and the victory gave Siena its first win over a ranked opponent since 1989.

This year Siena impressed many by taking down Ohio State in a double overtime thriller in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The fact that the game was in the Buckeye state only makes the gutsy effort even more impressive.

Siena backed that game up with a comeback against Louisville that actually gave them a 63-59 lead before ultimately falling 79-72. 

The Saints may have ultimately lost but they proved to everyone just how far they have come under McCaffery.

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