With George O'Leary's surprising departure, Notre Dame AD Kevin White is back on the road looking for a coach. This much is certain -- it will be an interesting search to watch. Here's a rundown of some possible candidates (in alphabetical order) to coach the Fighting Irish:

The Latest Names

Tom Clements, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers' QB coach has the support of such prominent football people as Mike Ditka, Marv Levy, Joe Montana, Johnny Lujack and Ara Parseghian. The last one -- Parseghian -- carries some serious weight in South Bend, so it will interesting to see how this shakes out. While Clements doesn't have the head coaching experience White is looking for, the Irish have selected unknown coaches before.

Lou Holtz, South Carolina
As the Notre Dame job search takes longer and longer, this starts to become more and more likely. While this may seem far-fetched, there is reportedly interest on both sides here. And, in a crazy way, it makes sense. Holtz is still adored by Irish faithful and he is the one who last coached the Irish to a national championship. He could be the savior while Notre Dame lands a high-profile name to help get over the O'Leary mess. Now, a few drawbacks are Lou's age -- how long would he stick around -- and if he wore out his welcome last time. Adding to the intrigue -- Holtz saying "I can't say no to anything."

Mike Price, Washington State
Blue and Gold Illustrated reports Price might be the next name on the list. After Rick Neuheisel turned away Irish advances, Notre Dame might turn to the Huskies' in-state rival. Price has led the Cougars to a 9-2 record and the Sun Bowl this season and was in the Rose Bowl in 1998.

The Usual Suspects

Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin
A former Notre Dame assistant (1987-89), Alvarez is bound to be on this list. He turned around Wisconsin and would be a solid fit. The catch -- he still has a little baggage from the Badgers' Shoegate scandal. But Notre Dame fans and alums may look past that and remember he was there the last time the Irish won the national title.

Mike Bellotti, Oregon
He turned down White the first time, but while White is not known for giving in to potential candidates, his hand is not quite as strong this time around. Bellotti is a proven winner and has done it the right way. And one more thought -- does Bellotti feel any differently about being at Oregon after seeing the Ducks get passed over for the Rose Bowl. Remember, he said no before the BCS pairings were released.

Dennis Franchione, Alabama
Let's stroll back in time -- while at TCU, one of the jobs Franchione reportedly had an out for was Notre Dame. And a few weeks ago, while reportedly talking with Kansas, he asked for a little more time to see if he would be considered a candidate for the Notre Dame job. With heavy NCAA sanctions looming for Alabama, Franchione might be looking for a way out and a job at Notre Dame wouldn't be a bad one. Remember, he's not part of the Bama scandal and has always been been highly regarded.

Jon Gruden, Oakland Raiders
Don't be surprised to see White make another run at Gruden. Gruden, who went to high school in the area and whose dad was an assistant at ND, was reportedly very interested in the job, but just couldn't leave the Raiders. Who knows what happens if White is willing to wait until the end of the NFL season?

Tom O'Brien, Boston College
He was reportedly very close to landing the Georgia Tech coaching job, but pulled out. Conspiracy theorists say it's because he knew about the ND opening and could be the next Irish coach. Maybe, but his 1-13 record against Top 25 teams over his five seasons make him a long shot to land at Notre Dame.

Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
You knew he'd be here, right? While Stoops said he had no interest the last go-round, here's someone makes at least one more run at the Sooners' coach. He'll probably say no again, but this is the kind of hire that would take all the heat off of White and the Irish.

Nick Saban, LSU
Fresh off winning the SEC championship and earning a Sugar Bowl bid, Saban's name is being mentioned for NFL jobs, so why not here? He's a master recruiter, has won everywhere he's coached and should be on any short list.

Joe Tiller, Purdue
They way things are going, maybe West Lafayette won't be the No. 2 program in the state any more. OK, that's a reach, but Tiller has turned Purdue into a yearly Big Ten contender and his offense, while a bit of a shock compared to Bob Davie, would be interesting to see with the kind of athletes ND lands.

Tyrone Willingham, Stanford
In a time where Notre Dame is looking for a candidate beyond reproach, Willingham is that. White already asked for permission, but never talked with Willingham early in the search. But the odds of Willingham going to South Bend after the treatment in the first search are long.

Long shots