Basketball Coaching Saga Likely Coming To End Sooner Than Later

Everyone will find out if Musselman is staying or leaving rather quickly

Jacob Davis | Apr 2, 2024

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Eric Musselman works the referees against South Carolina / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – There’s no secret that Eric Musselman has been looking to leave Arkansas recently. His name has been linked to Louisville and SMU but the USC smoke is very different.

An actual interview in Los Angeles is now taking place Wednesday, per On3sports, with the process likely further along than most think. Reports of former Trojans coach Andy Enfield being linked to SMU were out last week but it took longer to receive a formal announcement. Before USC’s job officially opened, Musselman was linked as a person to watch.

It certainly wasn’t decided Monday that USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen would pursue Musselman for the job. She likely began vetting candidates long before Enfield’s departure during a disappointing 15-17 season. The Musselman name didn’t come from thin air and an interview shows just how close the potential hiring is to happening.

UCLA always seemed like the destination for Musselman to depart for, not its crosstown rival. The Trojans had a solid run with Enfield including five consecutive tournament appearances and an Elite Eight run in 2021, its first in 20 years. The Bruins program has a rich legacy including numerous national championships, produced NBA greats and hall-of-fame coaches.

For the Razorbacks, it spins the situation into an awkward spot. Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek sent out a tweet with him and Mussleman on a bus, which was originally sent out after an extension two years ago.

The soap opera has been an ongoing show since the Hogs’ first Elite Eight appearance during the 2021 NCAA Tournament. When the Arizona job was open after Sean Miller was fired due to the NCAA basketball corruption scandal, Musselman’s name was hotter than grits after resurrecting Arkansas’ struggling program to its first Elite Eight appearances since 1995. A pay raise and extension was met and the honeymoon between the school and coach continued.

Then, Yurachek made a guest appearance on a random podcast and seemed like he was ready for Musselman to walk to those trying to read between the lines. What ever the future holds for Arkansas’ basketball program, Musselman does leave the Razorbacks brand stronger than how he inherited it which is exactly what fans would want. While this season hasn’t gone the way most would have hoped, that shouldn’t diminish what’s been accomplished in Fayetteville over the past five seasons.

Arkansas is again a premier job in the world of college basketball. Should there be an opening at the helm, the job should draw attention from coaches on a national level. Everything from a huge arena, great facilities and a devoted NIL group for basketball alone is a solid selling point to a potential hire.

Expectations moving forward is that Arkansas should want to continue building on top of what is currently there. Final Four aspirations and even national championship hopes should be of reason each season no matter the coach.