The college basketball coaching carousel continues to spin. After Andy Enfield left USC to become the head coach at SMU, the Trojans immediately zeroed in on Arkansas coach Eric Musselman. On Thursday, it was reported that the USC basketball program is set to bring in Musselman as the replacement, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN.
‘NEWS: USC is expected to hire Arkansas’ Eric Musselman as its next head coach, sources told me and @PeteThamel. In five seasons, Musselman has guided the Razorbacks to two Elite Eights and a Sweet 16.'
The move was then officially confirmed by the USC basketball account on X.
This is a massive hire for the USC basketball program, especially after a disappointing year with a roster that featured both Bronny James and Isaiah Collier.
Eric Musselman brings an impressive resume to USC
Musselman is a home run hire for the USC basketball team, especially after the way things have gone the past few years. His resume is a long one and has a ton of different stops. Here are some of Musselman's stops as a coach throughout his career:
- Golden State Warriors HC
- Sacramento Kings HC
- Reno Bighorns HC
- LA D-Fenders HC
- Memphis Grizzlies assistant
- Atlanta Hawks assistant
- Orlando Magic assistant
- Arizona State assistant/associate HC
- LSU associate HC
Musselman's most recent jobs were at Nevada and Arkansas, where he put himself on the map in the college game. Musselman went 110-34 in his time with Nevada, including three first-place Mountain West finishes and three trips to the NCAA Tournament, with the Sweet 16 run coming in 2018. His first year at Nevada resulted in a 24-14 season and a CBI title.
At Arkansas, Musselman's time was mostly a success. He won 20 or more games in each of the first four seasons with the Razorbacks and went to three NCAA Tournament trips, with the first year at Arkansas being where the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19. The Razorbacks made back-to-back Elite Eight trips and a Sweet 16, but this past season they went just 16-17 and finished toward the bottom of the SEC.
Despite Musselman emerging as a target early on, the Arkansas athletic director posted a timely video on social media that hinted at the head coach staying. But, the lure of the Trojans job and Southern California, as well as what might be a pay increase, appears to be too much for him to pass up.
What happens next with the USC basketball program?
There have been a lot of rumors involving the Trojans roster after Enfield left for the SMU job. Kobe Johnson entered the portal and decided to join the UCLA Bruins on Thursday in a surprising outcome. But, the biggest question is whether or not Bronny James will enter the transfer portal or go pro.
Rumors have sparked, but no decision has been made. LeBron James also chimed in on those rumors but insisted Bronny would make the decision himself.
Nonetheless, the Trojans bringing in a coach as well-respected as Eric Musselman should do wonders for the program and help them be able to be competitive as they transition to the Big Ten Conference in 2024.
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