For those outside Missouri, it’s hard to comprehend the magnitude of Gary Pinkel’s achievements at Mizzou.

Under Pinkel’s leadership, the Tigers were transformed from doormats in the Big XII to division champions and national title contenders, then on to two-time SEC East Division champions in their first three years in the conference. Attendance, which dipped below 35,000 during the 80s and 90s, averaged more than 65,000 last season, including new luxury boxes.

So how can Mizzou try to replace him?

Ideally, athletic director Mack Rhoades will find a coach with the capability to can use Pinkel’s foundation to keep the program chugging along while making the improvements needed to make Mizzou competitive on a yearly basis with SEC’s perennial powerhouses.

That shouldn’t be difficult. Mizzou’s search likely will come down to only three candidates: Houston’s Tom Herman, Memphis’ Justin Fuente and Mizzou defensive coordinator Barry Odom.

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It’s a great short list. None are over 40, so they could offer potential longevity, plus enthusiasm on the recruiting trail. Two, Herman and Fuente, haven taken Group of 5 programs into the top 25. Odom, a former Mizzou linebacker, molded the Tigers defense into one of the best in the country under Pinkel.

Herman and Fuente, former offensive coordinators (like Pinkel) would be considered “home run” hires. Odom has “home run” potential.

Money shouldn’t be a problem. Pinkel, who makes more than $4 million at Mizzou, is one of the nation’s 20 highest-paid coaches.

So Herman ($1.45 million) and Fuente ($1.4 million) could expect big raises by taking the job. The hike would be bigger for Odom, who makes $625,000 as defensive coordinator. According to multiple sources, Herman has a $2.25 million buyout — pricey, but probably not a deal breaker — and Fuente’s is $500,000.

In his first year as Mizzou AD, Rhoades not only lends a fresh outside perspective to the search, he has valuable ties. As AD at Houston, he hired Herman and they remain friends. So Herman could come to Mizzou confident he’ll have a great working relationship with his boss.

Plus, Herman has extensive recruiting ties in Texas, a prime recruiting territory when the Tigers were in the Big XII that he could re-open to the program. Pinkel’s foray into Georgia and Florida hasn’t produced the quantity of standouts Texas did.

Herman’s Houston team is averaging more than 43 points per game with an amazingly balanced offense — 255 yards rushing, 256 yard passing per game — that would seem adaptable to the physical SEC competition.

Fuente knows the territory and he knows the current Mizzou coaching staff, which largely remained together throughout Pinkel’s tenure. He played at Oklahoma and Murray State, coached at Illinois State and has recruiting contacts throughout Texas and the Midwest.

The offensive coordinator who transformed TCU from a defensive-oriented program into a wide-open scoring machine, Fuente hired Ryan Walters as an assistant at Memphis before Odom lured him to Mizzou as safeties coach.

Mizzou would hit a grand slam with Fuente if he would be able to retain Odom as well as defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski, who has built a tradition of developing NFL pass rushers.

Odom is a solid candidate, but has no head coaching experience. A standout linebacker on consecutive top 25 teams at Mizzou in the late 90s, Odom knows the school and has valuable relationships with high school coaches in the state. He’s well liked by the players.

Odom could be Rhoades’ first choice. If not, he’s a great fallback candidate if the Tigers can’t get Herman or Fuente.

What areas should a successful candidate be able to improve?

For starters, recruiting. The new coach will inherit a team void of playmakers at receiver and running back.

Pinkel and his staff have a well-earned reputation of developing average prospects (two- and three-star recruits) into great players. Rhoades should be looking for a coach who doesn’t have to that as much.

Mizzou has lost high-profile, home-state recruits such as Montee Ball and Ezekiel Elliott. Hale Hentges, the state’s top prospect last year, chose Alabama.

Of the top 10 recruits in the 2016 signing class, Mizzou has commitments from only two, the same as Nebraska. A.J. Taylor, the state’s top recruit, has committed to Wisconsin.

The willingness and ability to keep much of Mizzou’s current staff — at least on defense — might be another priority.

Quarterbacks coach Andy Hill, who Pinkel retained from Larry Smith’s staff, needs to be retained due to his popularity with high school coaches, boosters and fans. A former walk-on from a small town in Missouri, Hill started at receiver for the Tigers in the era just before the program’s long decline.

It’s hard to fathom Mizzou passing over Odom for any other hot young coaches other than Herman or Fuente, or a candidate with no head coaching experience.

Pinkel brought Mizzou out of the wilderness and into a competitive position in the nation’s top conference. It’s up to the next coach to bring in the players needed to keep them there and push them further.