Eric Musselman Credit: Brian Chilson

After five years in Arkansas, two Elite Eights, three Sweet 16s and at least two shirtless celebrations, Razorback men’s basketball head coach Eric Musselman will be named the next coach at the University of Southern California, CBS Sports reports.

Musselman, an Ashland, Ohio, native, played college basketball at the University of San Diego. He was hired by Arkansas in 2019 after several successful seasons as the head coach of the University of Nevada’s men’s basketball team, leading the Wolf Pack to a surprise Sweet 16 appearance in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Musselman’s previous coaching stints include head coaching positions with the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings in the NBA.

Musselman turned the Razorbacks around quickly, going 20-12 in his first season, an improvement on the team’s 18-16 record in former head coach Mike Anderson’s final season. It was in the 2020-2021 season that Musselman’s team would make its first big step forward when the Hogs surprisingly advanced to the Elite Eight. The last time the Razorbacks made it that far in the tournament was when they made the national championship game under head coach Nolan Richardson in 1995.

In Musselman’s third season, the Razorbacks advanced to the Elite Eight again, followed by an appearance in the Sweet 16 last year. This season, the Razorbacks struggled, finishing 16-17 overall and 6-12 in the SEC. It was the team’s first losing record since the 2009-2010 season under coach John Pelphrey.

Musselman’s Razorback teams have been marked by NBA talent. Moses Moody, a Little Rock native, was Arkansas’s first one-and-done player in Razorback history after being selected No. 14 overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2021 NBA Draft. Last year, Razorback freshmen Anthony Black, Nick Smith and Jordan Walsh were all selected in the NBA Draft, the first time Arkansas had three players drafted since 1992. Musselman’s rosters also included current NBA players: Ricky Council IV, Jaylin Williams and Stanley Umude (NBA players Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe were on Musselman’s first Razorback team as well, but those players were brought in by Anderson).

Musselman also frequently turned over the roster. Only seven players on this year’s team were on last year’s roster, and the two leading scorers – Tramon Mark and Khalif Battle – were transfers. Musselman’s reliance on the transfer portal  brought in so many new players that CBS reporter Jon Rothstein nicknamed him “The Importer.”

This year was Musselman’s first losing season as an NCAA head coach. Rumors have been flying for weeks that he might be seeking employment elsewhere as head coaching jobs temporarily opened up at Louisville, Michigan and SMU. The past two weeks have been rife with speculation after Razorbacks athletic director Hunter Yurachek tweeted a cheeky video where he boarded a bus that was being driven by Musselman.

“Buckle up!” Musselman shouts from the driver’s seat.

“Wait a minute, you’re still here?” Yurachek replies.

Most fans and some journalists took this as news that Musselman had either signed a contract extension or would at least be returning to Arkansas. But some eagle-eyed viewers recognized that it was a doctored video from a few years ago. Musselman, who is typically very active on social media, never retweeted the video or commented on it.

Yurachek admitted in an interview with 1 Star Recruits Podcast that was released Monday on X (formerly Twitter) that the Muss Bus video was recorded a few years ago and cut together by his communications team. He said the new version was not made in collaboration with Musselman. Yurachek said there wasn’t a new contract in place for Musselman but that he’s had a couple extensions in the past few years and six figure increases. Musselman earns $4.2 million annually at Arkansas. “We feel like where his contract currently sits he’s compensated in the top 12-15 coaches in the country. He’s earned that compensation and done a great job,” Yurachek said.

Yurachek said the video was nothing more than an athletic director “trying to have a little bit of fun with some fanbases and naysayers saying, ‘Hey, coach Musselman’s leaving.’ Well, he may be leaving, but right now he’s still here and he’s still our basketball coach and he’s still driving the bus.”

The following day On3 Sports reported that Musselman would be interviewing for the USC job following former coach Andy Enfield’s move to SMU. According to reports Musselman will now owe UA a $1 million buyout for taking another job.

In the end, Musselman’s tenure will be remembered for putting Arkansas basketball back on the map after a number of difficult seasons under Stan Heath, John Pelphrey and Mike Anderson. He’ll also be remembered for the three consecutive Sweet 16s, beating Duke at Bud Walton Arena this season and for his penchant for celebrating big wins on the court with his shirt off, including one in which he was wearing a sling on his arm. Musselman also seemed to be a hit with the Arkansas fan base, commonly taking pictures with fans in the student section at games following wins.

Rhett Brinkley is the food editor at the Arkansas Times. Send restaurant tips and food selfies to rhettbrinkley@arktimes.com