Who will replace Doc Rivers? Proven coaches, recent staffers and outside-the-box options for the Sixers to consider.

The 76ers have moved on from Doc Rivers, firing him Tuesday after three seasons in which his team improved each regular season but still could not get out of the playoffs’ second round.

Finding his replacement now becomes the top priority for president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. The Sixers are in win-now mode, with Joel Embiid coming off an MVP season and a team expected to remain a contender in a competitive Eastern Conference.

The potentially good news for the Sixers? There are more proven head coaches on the market than during a typical coaching cycle, including three who recently won NBA titles and another who went to the Finals.

Additionally, longtime Rivers confidant Sam Cassell has been regarded as an assistant ready for a head-coaching opportunity. Others in a similar position, including one with strong Sixers ties, are also primed for their big break.

What direction will the Sixers go? Here is a list of potential candidates for the opening:

Williams, the 2022 NBA coach of the year, was instrumental in transforming a Phoenix Suns franchise that had missed the playoffs 10 consecutive seasons into the Western Conference’s 2021 NBA Finals participant. He was fired last weekend following the Suns’ second consecutive flameout in the playoffs’ second round, after Phoenix went all-in on the deadline blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant. After stepping away from coaching when his wife died from injuries suffered in a car accident, Williams returned to the profession as an assistant on Brett Brown’s 2018-19 Sixers staff. This story details his fond memories of living in the Philly area and strong relationship with Embiid, which the MVP echoed while discussing recently fired coaches. He is also from Maryland and still has family ties to the area.

Budenholzer guided the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship in 50 years in 2021 but was fired after a stunning first-round playoff loss to the Miami Heat this season. The two-time NBA coach of the year is familiar with building offensive and defensive systems around an MVP, with Giannis Antetokounmpo anchoring the Bucks’ rise in the Eastern Conference. He has also extracted career-best play out of role players such as Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis. Though Budenholzer comes from the Gregg Popovich coaching tree, he has been criticized for his lack of in-game and in-series adjustments. He previously coached the Atlanta Hawks to much regular-season success from 2013 to 2018, including an Eastern Conference finals appearance in 2014-15.

Nurse, the 2020 coach of the year, led the Toronto Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship but was fired after losing in this season’s play-in tournament and reportedly butting heads with players. Nurse has experience taking over a team and getting it over the hump, as his championship arrived one season after Toronto fired Dwane Casey. He is also known for his creativity in creating schemes and game-planning.

» READ MORE: Sorry, Doc: Sixers need a change of direction after Game 7 meltdown

Vogel took the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2020 championship but was fired two years later. Known as a defensive mastermind, Vogel also coached the Indiana Pacers to two conference finals during the Paul George era in 2013 and 2014. He was also the coach of the young Orlando Magic from 2016 to 2018, missing the playoffs both seasons. He was a Sixers assistant under Jim O’Brien during the 2004-05 season.

Atkinson was the coach of the up-and-coming Brooklyn Nets team that lured Durant and Kyrie Irving, but he was fired midseason just before the COVID-19 pandemic’s onset in 2020. He utilized a playing style predicated on ball and body movement, playing fast, and shooting a bevy of three-pointers. He was the Golden State Warriors’ associate head coach the last two seasons. He was expected to become the Charlotte Hornets head coach last offseason, but he turned that opportunity down to remain with the Warriors.

The 72-year-old D’Antoni has not officially been on a coaching staff since 2020-21, but he has deep history with Morey and James Harden from their time with the Houston Rockets. Houston’s offense during that era turned Harden into a three-time scoring champion and 2018 MVP, and relied on shooting a barrage of three-pointers and using a rim-running (or small-ball) center. D’Antoni also helped transform the NBA with his “Seven Seconds or Less” fast-paced, high-scoring style with the Phoenix Suns during the Steve Nash era. But his teams never reached the Finals.

Cassell has been a head-coaching candidate for several years, including for the Rockets’ vacancy this cycle. He has been instrumental in the development of dynamic third-year guard Tyrese Maxey, and is often on the floor with Harden long after shootarounds and practices have concluded. Following his successful playing career, the former All-Star point guard and three-time NBA champion has been an assistant coach since 2009.

Joerger, who has helped spearhead the Sixers’ offense, was the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies from 2013 to 2016 and the Sacramento Kings from 2016 to 2019. After stepping away for part of last season to undergo treatment for cancer in his head and neck, Joerger has been in good health.

Young was an assistant with the Sixers from 2017 to 2020, before joining Williams’ staff with the Suns and getting promoted to associate head coach after Willie Green was hired to lead the New Orleans Pelicans. Young’s ties to the organization also run as deep as the G League, as he was the 87ers head coach from 2014 to 2017 and an assistant the season before. He is known as a strong communicator and bright offensive mind. He reportedly interviewed for the Sixers’ head coaching job in 2020, before the organization hired Rivers. This cycle, he will reportedly interview for the Bucks’ opening.

Griffin had been a Raptors assistant under Nurse since 2018, and is reportedly a candidate for that opening. He has been that staff’s defensive coordinator, learning under Tom Thibodeau while with the Chicago Bulls and Scott Skiles with the Orlando Magic, and is known for building relationships with players. The former journeyman player is also reportedly a candidate for the Bucks, where he began his coaching career in 2008.

At just 38 years old, Lee is considered one of the game’s brightest young coaching minds and was promoted to Milwaukee’s associate head coaching role after Darvin Ham left to become the Lakers’ head coach. The longtime assistant under Budenholzer in Milwaukee and Atlanta is (unsurprisingly) reportedly a candidate for the Bucks’ job, as well as the Detroit Pistons’ opening. He was previously in contention for the top jobs in New Orleans and Washington.

Other names to watch in this category: Jordi Fernandez, Chris Quinn, Darko Rajakovic

The longtime NBA assistant with the San Antonio Spurs was a candidate for numerous head-coaching jobs, before the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces hired her for their top post. She won the championship in her first season. She is reportedly a candidate for the Raptors’ job, but publicly has remained steadfast that she is happy being back in the WNBA.

The player-turned-broadcaster reportedly interviewed for Toronto’s opening. The former Sixers sharpshooter’s lack of coaching experience would certainly make him a risky hire, but he is known for his basketball acumen and is plenty familiar with Embiid and many inside the organization.

Zero chance this happens, but wouldn’t it be awesome?