Indiana Legend Keith Smart Takes Over As Head Coach At Arkansas For 2 Games

Keith Smart is going to be a head coach for at least a couple of games after his boss, Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman, needed shoulder surgery. Smart, who coached in the NBA for 22 years, was hired as an assistant at Arkansas this summer.

Arkansas coach Eric Musselman underwent surgery on his rotator cuff on Thursday, so Indiana legend Keith Smart is taking over as the Razorbacks' head coach for a couple of games while Musselman recuperates.

Smart, who hit the game-winning shot for Indiana in the 1987 NCAA Tournament championship game, joined the Razorback staff this past summer after 22 years coaching professionally, including head coaching stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings in the NBA as well as the Fort Wayne Fury of the CBA.

A statement from Musselman's doctor said he was injured in a collision with a player, and an MRI confirmed Musselman had torn tendons and would require surgery. The plan to use daily physical therapy, treatment and a steroid injection to delay the surgery didn't ease the pain or stabilize the shoulder. Surgery was chosen to limit the risk of further injury.

Arkansas is off to an 11-5 start this season. Smart and Musselman have a long history from their respective NBA days. Smart started thinking about coaching in college last spring when the Indiana job came open, and did have a few conversations with Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson before Mike Woodson was hired.

After a few conversations with Musselman, Smart was hired at Arkansas and has hit the ground running as the Razorbacks' lead assistant. Arkansas was ranked in the top-10 in late November, and Smart has been instrumental in leading the Razorbacks to a No. 2-ranked Class of 2022 recruiting class that includes two five-star recruits and three four-stars.

Arkansas plays at LSU on Saturday, and the game is on ESPN2. Smart is also expected to coach Tuesday night's home game against South Carolina. They play again the following Saturday, at home against Texas A&M when Musselman is expected to return.

Keith Smart profile from March 2021

• HoosiersNow.com publisher did an in-depth profile on Keith Smart when Indiana's head coaching job came open last March after Archie Miller was fired. The story was written the week before Mike Woodson was hired at Indiana. Here's the full story. CLICK HERE