Rusty LaRue owes his new job as an assistant coach at Wake Forest to Lute Olsen's decision to retire at Arizona.

No, there isn't a direct link between the Demon Deacons and Wildcats. But when the Hall of Fame coach abruptly departed the desert last fall, he started an unlikely chain of events that was mirrored at four other big-time programs across the country: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Virginia.

"It's such a visible profession, and you see when openings come available that there is a lot of movement," said LaRue, one of the best all-around athletes in Wake Forest history. "You talk about dominos, and one guy getting hired at one place ... that opens up a couple different spots at another place, and people start moving up the food chain."

The biggest headlines are generated by high-profile moves by coaches like John Calipari, who started a domino of his own when he left Memphis for Kentucky.

But in reality, some of the biggest beneficiaries often can be found a few rungs down the ladder.

Among those under-the-radar

"When you find out you're going to get involved ... you start monitoring the chat boards a little bit more, because you really do start looking at those dominos. You start (thinking), 'Oh, if so-and-so leaves here, then this guy might be going here, I heard this guy's leaving here and this guy's leaving there,'" LaRue said. "That's just become part of the business of coaching."

There are several intriguing subplots following the latest offseason cycle of hirings and firings.

The son of Louisville coach Rick Pitino left his dad's staff to work for his father's most famous protege: Florida's Billy Donovan. The elder Pitino then replaced his son with his best friend: veteran Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard, who was taking a job once held by HIS son. Kevin Willard spent six years on Pitino's staff before moving to Iona in 2007.

And just think: Maybe none of those moves at Louisville takes place if Mark Gottfried doesn't first step down under fire at Alabama. When the Crimson Tide hired Anthony Grant from VCU, the Rams hired the Gators' Shaka Smart to replace him -- creating an opening on the Florida staff and an opportunity for the younger Pitino.