After posting a record of 56-99 in five seasons as the head coach of App State, men’s basketball coach Jim Fox was let go by the university. AD Doug Gillin decided it was time to move in a different direction and now has his second biggest decision to make for App State Athletics.

App State has only been to two NCAA Tournaments and none since 2000. Buzz Peterson had the program going strong in his two stints as head coach, most recently in 2010, but since his one year return the program has fallen on hard times. App is a different job. This is a football school and there isn’t a ton of support for the basketball program.

However, this might be one of the better low-major jobs in the country. There is talent in place and the team competes in the wide open Sun Belt. The right coach could come in and compete from day one.

According to sources, the search is down to four candidates:

Gardner-Webb’s Tim Craft, Radford’s Mike Jones Former Charlotte head coach Bobby Lutz, and Campbell’s Kevin McGeehan.

With that in mind, let’s break down the “final four”.

The Big Name

Bobby Lutz. With a career record of 398-247, he is by far the biggest and most successful name on the list. It’s hard to believe he is unemployed after successful runs at both Pfeiffer and Charlotte, the latter of which he took to the NCAA Tournament five times. At 61, Lutz is the most senior name on the list, but his resume speaks for itself and he would instantly add a sense of credibility to the program.

As a western North Carolina guy he also makes a ton of sense from a recruiting standpoint. Lutz recruited at a high level at Charlotte, and more recently helped land three McDonald’s All-Americans in stints as an assistant at Iowa State and NC State.

The Up and Comer

Kevin McGeehan. If Doug Gillin wants a young coach looking to take the next step on the coaching ladder then McGeehan might be his man.

While his overall head coaching record is 91-107, the 45-year-old McGeehan has enjoyed recent success with the Camels winning at least 18 games the past three seasons. He was recently named the Big South Coach of the Year and led his team to the Conference Regular Season Championship and first round of the NIT.

It also helps that he recruited Chris Clemons who rose to national prominence this season when he became the NCAA’s fourth all-time leading scorer.

The Giant Slayer

Tim Craft. After an impressive postseason run that included a Big South Tournament Championship and strong showing against number one seed Virginia in the NCAA Tournament, Craft is sure to be a hot commodity this offseason. The six year head coach has compiled a record of 111-90 at GW with only one losing season.

Gardner-Webb has continued its tradition of slaying college basketball giants under Craft’s guidance. The Runnin’ Bulldogs knocked off Clemson and Purdue during the 2014-2015 season and took down Nebraska in 2016.

This season, he directed wins at Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. The 42-year-old has quickly established himself as one of the top basketball minds in the Big South Conference, and App is already known as a giant slayer in football, why not be one in basketball as well?

The Safe Choice

Mike Jones. Jones took over a Radford program with just one win in the season prior to his arrival on campus and led a three-year turnaround that resulted in back-to-back 22-win seasons in 2014 and 2015. Radford competed in postseason play those three seasons as well, with the Highlanders taking home the program’s first and second postseason victories in the College Basketball Invitational before a 2018 NCAA Tournament run that included a victory in a First Four game.

His teams have won 138 games at Radford, making him the third-winningest coach in program history. Jones has also coached three players who were awarded Big South Player of the Year.

My Choice:

Bobby Lutz. He’s clearly done the most of anyone on this list and would be a great fit for the Mountaineers. Lutz knows the landscape and at 61 years old, wouldn’t necessarily use the job as a springboard to a better gig. He would add name recognition to a program that sorely lags in that department and with his high level of recruiting, four top-20 national recruiting classes, Lutz would be a great sell for the App State program.