Sources revealed that Lon Kruger was retiring as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball program on Thursday, bringing the curtain down on a quietly successful 10-year tenure. OU became the fifth program led to the NCAA tournament by Kruger (Kansas State, Florida, Illinois, UNLV) -- he got the Sooners there seven times, with the high-water mark coming when the 2016 squad reached the Final Four. Oklahoma also produced plenty of star power during Kruger's decade in Norman, with Buddy Hield and Trae Young helping to carry the banner for OU at the next level. With Kruger stepping down, the coaching carousel gets another high-profile vacancy to join the likes of Indiana, Utah and Marquette. We sized up the meaning of the Kruger era, the attractiveness of the job, and the top candidates for the position below.
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