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Will Wade, King Rice a fit for Vanderbilt?

Two hot mid-major names have already popped up in regards to the vacancy expected at Vanderbilt.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

It was reported yesterday that Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings has been offered the job at Pittsburgh and is expected to accept it. Jamie Dixon returning to his alma mater, TCU, has created a series of dominoes, and it looks like it's about to affect the mid-major ranks as early rumors have already tied King Rice and Will Wade to the Commodores vacancy.

Rice is coming off a 28-8 season and an NIT birth at Monmouth. Over his five years at the helm for the Hawks, he's amassed a 79-85 mark.  The reason he is a prime candidate for Vanderbilt is he spent five years as an assistant under Kevin Stallings. Rice has been rumored to be in the mix for many jobs this offseason, but nothing has come to fruition.  Some coaches with North Carolina ties have been beefing up their resumes as many think Tar Heels' coach Roy Williams is at the end of his career.  Would it be better for Rice to stay at Monmouth for a year or two or try to win at the SEC's academic titan?

Nashville native Will Wade was the other name to immediately pop up. While Wade has no prior connections to Vanderbilt, you can never underestimate the power of coming home. Wade has found success in the Volunteer State before leading Chattanooga to a 40-25 record in two seasons. He just finished his first season at VCU that ended with a 25-11 mark and an NCAA Tournament win. Wade's name has already popped up for other preemptive SEC vacancies, and it will be interesting to see if he'd be willing to leave VCU after one season.