The Los Angeles Daily News blog, "Inside UCLA with Brian Dohn," has reported that Tennessee assistant coach Nikki Caldwell is a leading candidate. She has coached at Tennessee for five seasons and has directed the program’s recruiting since 2003.

In March, UCLA associate athletic director Petrina Long, who oversees women’s basketball, indicated that a decision could be delayed until the end of the women’s NCAA Tournament as likely candidates would be coaching in the event.

The Bruins failed to make the tournament, which ended Tuesday night, for the second straight year after closing out the season, 16-15, with a loss to national runner-up Stanford in the Pac-10 Tournament.

"We’re not going to rush," Long said in March. "It takes an amazing person be a head coach at UCLA, in any sport."

According to Long, experience would be a key component for any new candidate. She cited the need to match up with university-wide athletic expectations. Coaches with previous experience and long-time assistant coaches were likely to receive priority.

"It’s about championships at UCLA," Long said in March. "It is important to be on the national scene."