"The net cast by 76ers general manager Ed Stefanski in his search for a coach has been as promised - wide.New candidates have been added almost daily - sometimes two a day. Then, on Friday, Stefanski said he was broadening, rather than closing, his search.This is good news for Sixers fans, who seem rather tired of the hiring-and-firing that has been the franchise's M.O. - excluding the tenure of Larry Brown - for the last decade.But this all-encompassing process also leaves the Sixers only slightly closer to a new head coach today than they were two weeks ago, when Tony DiLeo removed his name from consideration to continue in that role.Until now, Stefanski's search has included both obvious and less-obvious choices, and we probably can expect more of the same. Right now, six have been interviewed and five are still in the game: Eddie Jordan, Dwane Casey, Kurt Rambis, Tom Thibodeau, and Chris Ford appear to remain on Stefanski's list. Villanova coach Jay Wright discussed the opening with Stefanski, then called and essentially said thanks, but no thanks.Through this opening stage, Stefanski has avoided brand-name guys such as Avery Johnson, Jeff Van Gundy, Doug Collins, and Mike Fratello. Other than Jordan, who has been a head coach in the NBA for more than 500 games, and Ford, an in-house candidate who had success as the Boston Celtics' coach in the 1990s, Stefanski's group includes a handful of promising assistant coaches.Expect to see more in this mold, because the Sixers aren't ready for a coach whose style isn't malleable, as they are.They are a youthful, running team that struggles to score in the half-court. But this style is not stamped onto the Wachovia Center floor. It could easily change.The Sixers are regarded as an up-and-coming franchise that is still two moves - acquiring outside shooting and developing or getting a No. 1 scorer - from contending for a title. Those moves could shift their style from run-and-gun to penetrate-and-pitch to dump-it-down-low.They need a coach whose vision is just as versatile, whose thinking can shift with a shifting roster.The Sixers' vision - if you listen to those on the outside looking in, those who have been here before and seem to have at least some idea of what might be needed - should be a hard-working, energetic coach who can bring the team to heights even he has yet to reach."