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A couple of midmajor guys, some assistants, a Division-II legend and a retread could be on the short list of coaching candidates for the University of New Mexico men's basketball job, according to a source close to college basketball search firms.

Former Metro State coach and current Denver Nuggets assistant Mike Dunlap, UCLA assistant Kerry Keating, Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery, Southern Miss coach Larry Eustachy, Florida assistant Larry Shyatt and former Arizona State coach Rob Evans are six possibilities, the source told The Trib.

Bob Beaudine, the CEO of Eastman and Beaudine Inc. - which is aiding UNM in the hiring process - has a reputation for dealing with top-level assistant coaches and midmajor head coaches for new jobs, a Division-I assistant coach told The Tribune.

UNM Athletics Director Paul Krebs said he, Beaudine and incoming school President David Schmidly will interview the candidates.

Dunlap, who is rumored to be up for the Colorado job, won two Division-II titles with Metro State. Dunlap is a two-time National Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year.

Lowery, whose name is taking a meteoric rise in the college ranks, has the Salukis sitting at No. 11 in the nation. SIU Athletics Director Mario Moccia said the school wants to do whatever it can to keep Lowery and hasn't been contacted by UNM.

Southern Miss is 18-10 under Eustachy, the former NABC Coach of the Year who led Iowa State to the Elite Eight in 2000. Iowa State later fired Eustachy after pictures sent to a newspaper showed him drinking at a University of Missouri party before a game.

Keating, known as a tireless recruiter, is in his fourth season with UCLA. The Bruins are ranked second in the nation this week by the Associated Press. Shyatt is a former assistant under Gary Colson from 1982-88. He was the head coach at Wyoming (1997-98) and Clemson (1998-2003) before landing with Billy Donovan and the Gators (2004-present).

Evans guided Mississippi (1992-98) and Arizona State (1998-2006). He was fired by the Sun Devils after compiling a 119-120 record in eight seasons.

Former Lobo torn: Tony Benford, who coached under Dave Bliss in the Õ90s, said he's not sure whether he's interested in the Lobos vacancy.

Now a Nebraska assistant, Benford said he'd rather endorse one of his guys - Evans, who coached with Benford at ASU.