When the Red Sox hired Terry Francona, he was a 44-year-old former major-league player with experience both as a major-league manager and as a major-league bench coach. He’d managed the Philadelphia Phillies from 1997-2000 — a tenure that ended disastrously — and he’d worked as a bench coach for the Texas Rangers in 2002 and the Oakland Athletics in 2003. He’d also had a unique experience in a pressure-cooker setting when he managed Michael Jordan with Double-A Birmingham in 1994. No matter how it ends, there is no denying that the Terry Francona era was wildly successful for the Red Sox. The team won two World Series titles and won 86 or more games in each of his eight seasons. Might a similar candidate land the job? Previous success at managerial stops, in that case, would not be a prerequisite. Francona did not have success in Philadelphia at all. “Looking back at that process eight years ago, we found the right guy and hired the right guy,” Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said. “He did a remarkable job, and this organization is forever changed because of the job he did here.” Previous managerial experience, Epstein said, is preferred but not required. What candidates out there look like Francona looked back then? (The following list is speculative and compiled without much knowledge of the inner workings of any coaching staff outside Boston.) Trey Hillman, Los Angeles Dodgers bench coach — An intriguing early possible front-runner, the 48-year-old Hillman was fired after three seasons at the helm of the Kansas City Royals. One look at the tenure of Hillman can be found here. John Farrell, Toronto manager — The Red Sox pitching coach for four seasons under Francona, Farrell looked like the manager-in-waiting until he took the job at the helm of the Blue Jays. Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay manager — It seems like a longshot, but why not make a run at the all-but-certain American League Manager of the Year? John Russell, Baltimore third-base coach — The 50-year-old Russell was fired after failing to win as a manager in Pittsburgh, but he’s not the only one to befall that fate — meaning he has something in common with Hillman. He was popular with his players, and his general manager said he deserved a better fate. Joel Skinner, Oakland bench coach — The interim manager of the Indians back in 2002, Skinner worked for seven seasons on the Indians’ coaching staff under Eric Wedge before moving to the Athletics this season. Alan Trammell, Arizona bench coach — A bench coach under Lou Piniella in Chicago for four seasons, the former All-Star shortstop managed the Detroit Tigers to disastrous results — including a 119-loss season — from 2003-05. Don Wakamatsu, Toronto bench coach — For two years the manager of the Seattle Mariners, the 48-year-old Wakamatsu worked with John Farrell this season and has worked as bench coach of the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics — just like Francona did. *** Who else might be on the preliminary list? Dave Clark, Houston third-base coach — Clark could be a candidate if he gets a glowing endorsement from Astros manager and former Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills. Dino Ebel, Los Angeles Angels third-base coach — The last Mike Scioscia-trained third-base coach to be hired away as a manager? Maddon. Chip Hale, New York Mets third-base coach — His experience as third-base coach in the New York market would be a selling point, but Hale came up through the Arizona system and worked as the Diamondbacks’ third-base coach for three seasons as well. DeMarlo Hale, Red Sox bench coach — Terry Francona’s right-hand man, Hale would only be a candidate if ownership decides it doesn’t need to go in an entirely new direction. Glenn Hoffman, San Diego third-base coach — One of the finalists for the Red Sox job eight years ago, the 50-year-old Hoffman has spent the last 13 seasons as a bench coach with the Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Torey Lovullo, Toronto first-base coach — A longtime manager in the Indians’ minor-league system, the 46-year-old Lovullo managed Triple-A Pawtucket last season before taking his first major-league job this season on John Farrell’s staff in Toronto. He has no major-league managerial experience, but his experience with the Red Sox last season probably pushes him ahead of similar candidates. Dave Martinez, Tampa Bay bench coach — A 16-year veteran of the major leagues, the 47-year-old Martinez has served as bench coach under Joe Maddon for the last four seasons. Tony Pena, Yankees bench coach — The right-hand man of Joe Girardi, Pena previously worked as first-base coach under Joe Torre. Bo Porter, Nationals bench coach — The 39-year-old Porter has worked on the staffs of the Florida Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks over the last four seasons. Juan Samuel, Philadelphia third-base coach — The former third-base coach interim manager of the Baltimore Orioles, Samuel also worked as a first-base and third-base coach in Detroit. Rob Thomson, New York Yankees third-base coach — The 48-year-old Thomson has done stints as a bench coach and as the director of player development in the Yankees’ organization, the type of well-rounded background that likely would play well with the Red Sox. Robby Thompson, Seattle bench coach — The Red Sox poached both John Farrell and Mike Hazen out of the Cleveland front office, and that’s where the 49-year-old former San Francisco Giant spent the last few seasons before he was hired by Eric Wedge in Seattle. 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