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RALEIGH (AP) — The arduous process of trying to replace Kay Yow has begun at N.C. State.

Complicating the already difficult task is the support for interim coach Stephanie Glance, who Yow hand-picked to be her successor but whom athletics director Lee Fowler isn't ready to give the position.

The school has set up a 14-member committee as part of a national search to replace Yow, the face of the Wolfpack women's basketball program for three decades before her death last month following a long fight against cancer.

"The main thing is you've got to end up with the right person," Fowler said. "That is on my shoulders. Some other people will criticize whoever I hire, no matter how we go about it, just because it wasn't who they wanted to hire. Everybody has a different opinion of what you should do, and I need to move forward to do what I think is best for the program."

The Wolfpack (13-15, 5-8 ACC) beat Clemson Thursday on the court bearing Yow's name in Reynolds Coliseum before traveling to Boston College Sunday. Next week, N.C. State plays in the league tournament in what will likely end an emotionally wrenching season.

That's when the search will pick up pace, with more coaches becoming available to talk with N.C. State as they wrap up their seasons. Fowler hopes to have someone in place by early April.

To many, N.C. State already has a logical choice in Glance.

Glance has spent 15 seasons here and led the program each time Yow stepped away to focus on her fight against a disease she was first diagnosed with in 1987.

Glance has said she's interested in the job, but won't speculate on her chances.

"I just really am focused on the team right now and continuing to be there for this group of people in any way that I can," she said after Monday's 74-57 loss to North Carolina. "And our staff feels the same way. We're just really focused on finishing off the regular season on a really high note."

Glance's comments came after longtime Tar Heels coach Sylvia Hatchell weighed in on the issue.

"It doesn't mean anything, but I'm going to say it anyway: I think they need to just go ahead and name her the coach because there's no doubt she deserves it and she's doing a great job with this team," Hatchell said. "I'm hoping they would do that, and I know that's what Kay wanted."

Fowler knows that, too. Yow and Glance visited him a few years ago so that Yow could request for Glance to be designated the coach-in-waiting ahead of her retirement. Ultimately, Fowler told Yow that hiring for major jobs at the university needs to go through a search process.

"She wanted to hold recruiting together because she felt like with her sickness it was getting tougher and tougher, so at least those kids would know who was going to be there for the long period," Fowler said. "And the other thing was she has a family of (former Wolfpack players) coaching for her, so she felt like it would be nice to keep that family together.

"I by no means think the family will fall apart if it turns out that Stephanie is not the best choice. But if she is, then I'm fine with that, too. ... I think Stephanie definitely understands, and I think Kay understood what we were saying."