When Jerry Yang announced two months ago that he was giving up the reins at Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO), Carol Bartz wasn’t one of the names being tossed around as a likely replacement. The initial short list included former AOL-er and VC Jon Miller, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) exec Tim Armstrong and ex-eBay (NSDQ: EBAY) CEO Meg Whitman. Bartz’s name surfaced publicly for the first time only late last week in a report that said the board was “close” to making a choice. Almost as interesting as Yahoo’s somewhat left-field choice for a new head is the roster of candidates that publicly declined the gig—including News Corp.‘s Peter Chernin and former Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) head Arun Sarin.

—Jan 9: Report: Yahoo ‘Close’ To Finding A CEO; Autodesk’s Bartz ‘On The List’
—Dec 17: Velocity’s Miller Out Of The Running For Top Yahoo Job Or Takeover: Report
—Dec 15: Thanks But No Thanks: Ex-Vodafone Head Not Interested In Yahoo CEO Post After All
—Dec 9: Former Vodafone Head May Be Interested In Yahoo Post
—Dec 8: Former Vodafone Head Arun Sarin’s Name Floated As Prospective Yahoo CEO
—Dec 5: Chernin: No Interest At All In Being Top Yahoo
—Nov 17: Poll: Who Should Be the Choice For Yahoo CEO Position?
—Nov 17: Yahoo CEO Search: Obama-Like Immediate Priorities
—Nov 17: Yahoo CEO Search: Some Possible Names: Miller, Chernin, Freston, Rosensweig and Others
—Nov 17: Jerry Yang To Step Down As Soon As Yahoo Board Finds Replacement