Pretty interesting search going on at Bowling Green as AD Chris Kingston scrambles to replace recently fired head coach Chris Jans.  I’ve talked to a bunch of people surrounding this one, and keep getting the same names – all Big Ten assistants plus one internal candidate.  I have not heard of any current head coaches mentioned at all.  Jans was an assistant at Wichita State when he was hired by Kingston last spring – it seems that Kingston is heading down that route once again.  Here are they names that I have heard:

• Bacari Alexander – Assistant Coach Michigan.  Has been at Michigan for the past five seasons.  The Wolverines have won 120 games during his stint there.  Has also been been an assistant at Western Michigan, Ohio, and his alma mater Detroit.

• Jeff Boals – Assistant Coach Ohio State.  Joined the Buckeyes staff back in 2009.  He has also worked as an assistat at Akron, Robert Morris, Marshall, and Charleston (WVa.).

• Mark Downey – Current Interim head coach Bowling Green.  The internal candidate.  Joined Jans staff last spring.  Has been very successful as a head coach – 155-83 in his career with stops at Arkansas Tech, Charleston (WVa.), and West Alabama.

• Dane Fife – Assistant Coach Michigan State.  Served 6 seasons as a DI head coach at IPFW.  Joined Tom Izzo’s staff in 2011.  Was the youngest DI head coach in the country in 2005 (25 years old).  Former standout at Indiana who served on Mike Davis’s staff for two seasons after graduation.

• Greg Gard – Associate Head Coach Wisconsin.  Has been with Bo Ryan for the past 22 years, including the past 14 seasons at Wisconsin.  Was also an assistant to Ryan at UW-Milwaukee, and UW-Platteville.  At Platteville, was part of a staff that compiled a 161-13 (.925) record and won three NCAA Division III titles.  Has had a pretty good run at Wisconsin as well.

• LaVall Jordan – Assistant Coach Michigan.  Another John Beilein assistant.  Like Alexander, has also been part of a very successful staff over the past five seasons.  He has also been an assistant at his alma mater Butler, and Iowa.

• Greg Paulus – Associate Coach Ohio State.  A Duke grad who has been at Ohio State since 2011.  Also spent time on the staff at Navy.  Quick fact: Played four years for Coach K at Duke, then played QB at Syracuse for one season as he pursued his master’s degree.