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Yurachek, Musick Speak on New Direction Of Razorbacks Program, SEC Competition

New coach ready to hit ground running, get Arkansas program back on track

Daniel Shi

Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek with women's basketball coach Kelsi Musick at the introductory press conference
Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek with women's basketball coach Kelsi Musick at the introductory press conference / Arkansas Athletics
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. β€” New Arkansas coach Kelsi Musick had two SEC wins as coach last year, just one fewer than the Razorbacks had across a full 17-game slate.

The only difference is Musick only played three games against SEC opponents with Oral Roberts, including a 94-73 win over Arkansas.

Musick's team never trailed after the first minute of the game. It was that performance that put her on athletics director Hunter Yurachek's radar for a potential coaching change.

"Just the passion that she had on the sideline," Yurachek said. " The passion and the energy that her kids played with when they were here. It was a pretty sound whipping that we got."

Yurachek and Musick are both preaching patience as she takes over a program that is coming off a season in which the team broke the record for single-season losses (22).

"This first season is about the foundation," Musick said. "Having the right culture, having the right vision. Having the intensity, effort, energy. The things that we need to lay the foundation for this program and continue to grow it. Will it happen overnight? No, but anything worth building has to be built the correct way."

The SEC has become a brutal league to compete in every sport and women's basketball is no exception. Ten teams from the SEC made the NCAA Tournament.

The national champion has been an SEC team for the past three seasons. Musick's willingness to make the leap from the Summit League and Oral Roberts to the SEC is what set her apart from the three other candidates that Yurachek formally interviewed.

"[She] relishes competing against the likes of Dawn Staley, Vic Schafer, Kim Mulkey and the coaches that we have in this league," Yurachek said. "[She's also] somebody that believes in the student-athlete experience that I truly believe still exists despite what's happening with the transfer portal, NIL and all the things that are changing in college athletics."

The university is currently on spring break. Musick has already made contact with some of the players on the 2023-24 team and expects conversations about potential retention to pick up once the students return on campus.

Yurachek also promised that Musick will have the financial resources to field a competitive program as college sports brace for revenue sharing.

"Women's basketball is going to be one of our programs that participates in revenue sharing," Yurachek said. "We're not going to be at the top of the SEC, but we're going to be definitively in the ballgame."

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β€’ Scouting Report: No. 3 Texas Tech a Big Challenge for Hogs

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Daniel Shi
DANIEL SHI

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