The application process has ended and the task of finding a replacement for longtime girls basketball coach Manson Hill has begun at Gainesville High School.

Athletic director Wayne Vickery said the interview process began Monday and the goal is to have a new varsity girls coach in place by early April, "but nothing is set in stone."

More than 25 applications for the job were submitted after Hill announced his resignation on Feb. 19, and between eight and 10 will be interviewed.

As for qualifications, Vickery said he was looking for "somebody who can hang some banners."

"We've got everything from head coaches to assistants that we'll interview," he added.

That may include assistants on the current staff, as well, Vickery said.

The next Lady Red Elephants coach will be the team's first since 1997, the last season Hill coached in North Carolina before he returned to Gainesville. During his two tenures at Gainesville, Hill helped the Lady Red Elephants become a consistent contender statewide, winning four state titles and earning 15 trips to the state playoffs, including a run of 13 straight seasons from 1998-2010.

In 2011, Gainesville finished 14-12 and missed the postseason after a triple-overtime loss to Franklin County in the Region 8-AAA tournament.