Six Candidates Who Could Replace Lindsay Gottlieb at California

MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 13: Rice Head Coach Tina Langley looks on during a college basketball game between the Rice University Owls and the Florida International University Panthers on January 13, 2018 at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center, Miami, Florida. FIU defeated Rice 68-58. (Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 13: Rice Head Coach Tina Langley looks on during a college basketball game between the Rice University Owls and the Florida International University Panthers on January 13, 2018 at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center, Miami, Florida. FIU defeated Rice 68-58. (Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 30: Stanford Cardinal assistant coach Kate Paye looks on in game action during the Women’s NCAA Division I Championship – Third Round game between the Missouri State Lady Bears and the Stanford Cardinal on March 30, 2019 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 30: Stanford Cardinal assistant coach Kate Paye looks on in game action during the Women’s NCAA Division I Championship – Third Round game between the Missouri State Lady Bears and the Stanford Cardinal on March 30, 2019 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Kate Paye

While Paye to Cal seems unlikely, this list would be incomplete without her on it.  Paye seems destined to take over for Hall of Fame head coach Tara VanDerveer at Stanford, but her experience working with — and playing for — the Hall of Fame coach can’t be understated.  Paye just completed her 12th season as an assistant at Stanford, and her third as the associate head coach.  Paye is another tremendous coach who has recruited and developed All-Americans and professionals.  Paye plays a major role in the recruiting efforts at Stanford as well, and helped them land a top-2 recruiting class for 2019, including three top-20 recruits, and the top overall player according to ESPN, Haley Jones.  Paye has helped lead Stanford to seven Final Fours as a coach, and won a title as a player. Her ties to Stanford run extremely deep, which makes this move seem improbable. That said, if Cal were to hire Paye, it would be a slam-dunk hire.