USC Basketball: Eric Musselman Pulls No Punches in Unpacking 'Super Hard' Decision to Leave Arkansas

Leaving Arkansas was not an easy choice.

Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

After former USC men's basketball head coach Andy Enfield departed for SMU, Eric Musselman was hired to replace him as the Trojans' next coach. This was not necessarily an easy decision for Musselman, who was the head coach of Arkansas before taking this job. Musselman and his family had established roots in Arkansas, and he had a great job there.

“Yeah, super hard,” Musselman said on College Hoops Today with Jon Rothstein. “You know, I understood, my family understood, and our staff understood that the University of Arkansas basketball job is one of the very, very best in the country – historically and at the current time.”

Still, Musselman felt that it was the right time to make the switch and head to USC.

“USC is the right place at the right time, both professionally and personally,” Musselman told Rothstein. “The USC brand is really, really special as well from an academic standpoint. It’s a special place as well.”

Taking this job was not easy from the get-go. Musselman had to orchestrate a complete roster overhaul after nearly every Trojan on last season's roster transferred or declared for the draft after Enfield left. Musselman has done a solid job of putting together the roster.

Musselman now comes to USC after five years with Arkansas and four years with Nevada before. He had a 111-59 record with Arkansas, making the NCAA Elite Eight twice and the NCAA Sweet 16 three times. With Nevada, he had a 110-34 record and made the NCAA Tournament three times.

He was also the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year with Nevada, in 2018.

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