Commenting on your list, DuDog84, and adding a few more (outside the then recent FF)
No way Stringer would have left Rutgers. She went there specifically for family reasons. And, we would have had to deal with other things (research two Rutgers men coaches ago for an idea. And people think Coach P’s practices were hard.)
Tara VanDeveer was rumored to be interested, but those in power likely didn’t think it would be a good fit. I think she would have been great, and maybe we would have gotten Brooke Smith back.
Katie Meier had just moved from UNCC to Miami ( similar to Doyle) and in my view would have been an excellent selection.
Boyle was looked at as the best candidate to continue what Coach G had started. You are looking at her record in hindsight, in my view, rather than the consideration of what was going on at the time.
I think the order of candidates was Boyle, Meier, and then likely at least one that I am forgetting. After that first wave, other candidates were looked at, and I’m pretty sure Coach P lobbied hard for the job. But there’s no way she was the obvious candidate at the time.
Should the team not rebound next year, and things are still pointing downwards, I would expect that Coach P would step down or be asked to step down. If that happens, I think the right move would be go after a younger coach to rebuild things, rather than try to get another relatively veteran coach.