Stanford Coach Trent Johnson to LSU...

Former Stanford player/assistant Eric Reveno? A perfect fit in many ways, except he hasn’t posted a winning record in two years at Portland (the Pilots were in terrible shape when he took over — it’s a major rebuilding job).

But if Reveno gets it turned around in Portland and Stanford needs a coach in three or four years, then he’s the even-money favorite.

One name mentioned by a Stanford source (who had not spoken to Bowlsby) was Brad Holland, the former UCLA star and San Diego coach — remember, Bowlsby plucked Harbaugh from USD.

Holland is a good coach who’s used to working with academic restrictions and has tons of west coast recruiting connections. He brought in all the players that took San Diego to the WCC title and first-round win over UConn.

But I’m not sure how easy a sell Holland would be for Bowlsby: Lose the Pac-10 coach of the year, bring in a man who (rightly or wrongly) was dismissed by USD last spring.

St. Mary’s Randy Bennett? Perhaps.

San Diego’s Bill Grier? Maybe.

Gonzaga’s Mark Few? If you’re Bowlsby, you have to make the call.

The names we continue to hear for Stanford are those such as Old Dominion's Blaine Taylor, Saint Mary's Randy Bennett, Siena's Fran McCaffery, former Stanford assistant Eric Reveno.

Portland’s Eric Reveno: Only one basketball coach on the planet understands Stanford as well as Reveno, a former Stanford player and assistant — and that coach currently resides in Berkeley.

***Stanford model thought No. 2: Bowlsby must hire a coach who not only understands Stanford’s academic mission but embraces it, who doesn’t fight with the admissions office or complain about who doesn’t get in school.

That course of action would spell quick and certain doom on The Farm. The most successful coaches at Stanford turn the admissions into a positive. And if you don’t believe in the school’s priorities, you can’t sell it to the recruits.

Reveno is well regarded as a developer of big men, which have always been central to Stanford’s success, and he’s well liked by the Stanford community/administration.

He’d be an absolute no-brainer except for the basketball end of things.

Reveno left The Farm two years ago to rebuild Portland, one of the worst programs on the west coast. The Pilots won just nine games this season, but they played hard and organized and had a ridiculously young roster.

Reveno’s candidacy depends on how important proven success is to Bowlsby. If it’s not essential, then Reveno could well be the next coach. If it is, then bet on Reveno getting the job the next time it opens.

Oliver is believed to be the first person interviewed for the spot left open when Johnson left to take the head-coaching job at LSU.

Among the other candidates is Old Dominion coach Blaine Taylor, also a former Stanford assistant. Portland State coach Ken Bone had expressed an interest in the job, and Portland coach Eric Reveno is another possibility.

Stanford apparently approached Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt about the job, but he reportedly is staying put.