The post-Mike D'Antoni era continues as the Los Angeles Lakers look to restructure their entire team starting with a new leader to take up the helm as head coach.

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak announced earlier last week that the team, which finished with a dismal 27-55 record to miss the playoffs for the second time in nine seasons, has started searching for candidates to replace D'Antoni, who resigned as head coach on May 1 after the conclusion of the regular season.

Whoever takes on the job will have an unenviable task in front of them. Yes, it's the lore and luster of the venerated Lakers franchise and a chance at coaching one of the all-time greats in Kobe Bryant, but we're also talking about taking over a team that is short on talent, aging, broken down and injury-riddled, as highlighted by the multiple injuries to future Hall of Famer Steve Nash and with a lack of depth on the roster and the bench. To top it off, Pau Gasol, one of the team's key centerpieces, may be splitting this summer when his contract expires.

In other words, this is a fixer-upper, not a team that's ready to contend right off the bat for the NBA title. Add in the glaring spotlight of L.A. and a highly critical fan base that would cry for blood at the first sign of failure, and that's not exactly a scenario that has a lot of coaches flooding the Lakers' front office with their resumes.

But it's also one of the cushiest jobs in the NBA. The Lakers' gold-and-purple-laced pockets run deep with cash, and even with the passing of team owner Jerry Buss, this is a franchise that has built its reputation on winning and expects to win again. And there won't be any shortage of coaches that would love to be employed by a team that can bankroll a title contender at any given moment.

Let's take a look at some of the candidates out there that the Lakers may consider for calling the shots on the sidelines in the coming years:

Jeff Van Gundy

Brilliant on defense, the cerebral Van Gundy has built a reputation as a winner, guiding the New York Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals and making the Houston Rockets a tough playoff-tested team during his tenure down in Texas. But Van Gundy is currently set up with a nice, stress-free job as an ESPN hoops analyst, so he may not be in any rush to head back down to the sidelines for the intensity of guiding a team to victory night in and night out. But will the lure of that elusive ring be enough to coax Jeff back?

Mark Jackson

Despite leading Golden State to two NBA playoff berths in the last three seasons, including an impressive semifinals showing against the San Antonio Spurs last year, Jackson was shown the door earlier this month. One of the game's great point guards in his prime, Jackson should get along well with Kobe and Steve Nash, two other all-time greats. High-scoring, trigger-happy fan favorite Nick Young, assuming he's re-signed this summer, may also learn a thing or two from the crafty Jackson, who could bolster the team's backcourt system, stalled by injuries and inconsistency, into something special.

Lionel Hollins

His defensive philosophy may not be glamorous enough for the place that brought fans "Showtime," but Hollins' methods work. He took the Memphis Grizzlies to new heights, including the Western Conference Finals last season. Hollins could definitely toughen the Lakers up, and with an offensive weapon like Kobe at his disposal, which he wasn't afforded in Memphis, the right balance could make the Lakers one deadly team.

Stan Van Gundy

Jeff's older brother, Stan built up quite a name for himself in Orlando, when he led the Dwight Howard-starring Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals, losing to, ironically, the Lakers in four straight. With an offense predicated on outside shooting and a solid defensive philosophy, Stan might give the Lakers the jump start they are looking for, assuming he can handle a star like Kobe better than the messy situation that developed between Stan and Howard in Orlando. (Although, ironically, a disdain for Howard might be something that can bring Kobe and Stan together over a beer.)

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