Neither athletic director Scott Woodward nor president Mark Emmert would name any names under consideration to replace Tyrone Willingham as head football coach after this season.

But they suggested that the media would probably step in to fill that void, and they were right.

When these kinds of jobs pop open, names seem to come from four primary ares: Guys with ties to the area, successful major college coaches who might be lured from their current jobs, assistants who might be ready to step up, and successful guys from mid-major programs who might be ready to step up.

The list below represents all those kinds of guys:

JIM MORA
Seahawks assistant and tabbed to take over for Mike Holmgren next season. But he’s a former Husky, he infamously expressed interest in the job while head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and he seems the favorite of current UW fans -- or at least those with computer access.

LANE KIFFIN
Former USC offensive coordinator who left for the NFL. He was fired this season by the Raiders, but that’s a tough job. And Pete Carroll stands forever as proof that NFL mortals can become college deities. And he's interested.

GARY PINKEL
Former UW assistant under Don James who has turned Missouri into a national power. He’s under contract there through 2012, but you know contracts.

DAVE CHRISTENSEN
Even if they couldn’t get Pinkle they would have a pretty good chance of luring his offensive coordinator, an Everett native who played at UW in the early 1980s.

WILL MUSCHAMP
Defensive coordinator at No. 1-ranked Texas. He was defensive coordinator for national-champion LSU team when UW president Mark Emmert and AD Scott Woodward were there.

CHIP KELLY
Oregon offensive coordinator. There's no questioning his offense, and now has growing familiarity to the Northwest and the Pac-10.

DEWAYNE WALKER
UCLA defensive coordinator, Willingham wanted badly to bring him up to Seattle this season.

CHRIS PETERSEN
Ongoing success at Boise State. He hasn’t shown much indication that he wants to move, but UW could throw lots of money at him and perhaps even offer to paint the field blue.

PAT HILL
Before there was Chris Petersen, there was Pat Hill with his ongoing success at Fresno State. He’s had a lot of success down there, and lots of folks wonder what he might do with Pac-10 resources and recruiting to a place like Seattle instead of Fresno.

SKIP HOLTZ
He was a hot choice for about 45 seconds when East Carolina broke off to its fast start this season. Lately, not so much.

TODD GRAHAM
The new Holtz, but based on his current success at Tulsa.

GARY PATTERSON
The new Holtz, or is it the new Graham?, but based on his current success at TCU.

JEFF TEDFORD
Under contract at Cal through 2013 and unlikely to leave now that the university finally seems to be making good on its long-delayed promise to improve facilities. Still, he might be interested in moving to a campus where football is king.

MIKE RILEY
Oregon State coach does more with less than anyone in the Pac-10. But he left Corvallis once and lived to regret it. He’s not likely to bolt a second time.

MIKE TICE
Former Seattle Seahawk tight end went on to coach the Minnesota Vikings. He was interested in the job last time and probably would be again.

MIKE LEACH
Another guy named Mike, and this one is having lots of success while scoring lots of points at Texas Tech.