Recent Reports Give Hogs Fans Further Relief

Yet, as one door closes, another possible landing spot opens for Arkansas coach

Author:
Kent Smith
Mar 26, 2024

In this story:

Eric Musselman

Arkansas Razorbacks

USC Trojans

SMU

Mustangs

Louisville Cardinals

Richard Pitino

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – On one hand, news coming out this afternoon is cause for skeptical Arkansas Razorbacks fans to breathe a sigh of relief. That is until a certain realization plays into their paranoia once again.

This past Saturday, allHogs.com confirmed members of the Arkansas athletics department fully expects Hogs' coach Eric Musselman to return for another season. Reports being passed around social media today further support that expectation.

Earlier today, word started making its way around that Richard Pitino, son of infamous former Kentucky and Louisville coach Rick Pintino, has emerged as the top target for the job coaching the Cardinals. Pitino followed an up and down eight years at Minnesota with a strong run at New Mexico where in three years he built the Lobos into a 26-win NCAA Tournament team.

Meanwhile, Aaron Torres reported shortly after 2 p.m. that Rodney Peete, an Los Angeles area talk show host and USC alumnus went on the air with the news Trojans head basketball coach Andy Enfield has taken the job at SMU. That has yet to be comfirmed by officials within the Mustangs athletics department, but Peete is in a good position to know whether Enfield is leaving Southern California.

So, for most Razorbacks fans who didn't already breathe a sigh of relief last Saturday, it's initially an opportunity to relax for a moment and begin to take in what has been an active and pointed transfer portal recruiting cycle for the Hogs. Key word there being most Razorbacks fans.

There are those who have been whipped into a perpetual state of fear. This particular segment of Arkansas will have someone among them who has basic geographic knowledge and the ability to ascertain that Los Angeles is on the West Coast.

That will trigger panic because everyone knows how much Musselman loves anything near the Pacific Ocean. Suddenly images of him using a chance to see Moses Moody play when the former Hog first hit the NBA at Golden State to get out West and also venture to various MLB baseball games in Southern California will start popping up.

Next thing you know, a friend of a friend saw Musselman buying a bag of peanuts while waiting for an Uber at LAX. Never mind how much it costs to buy a home in a relatively safe neighborhood within reasonable driving distance of USC. That alone will eat up a massive chunk of his salary.

Mix in dealing with L.A. traffic daily, not that whimpy Fayetteville traffic the locals are always whining about, and then factor in conference games that require flights to far away places like New Jersey and Pennsylvania and the potential appeal begins to lose a little luster.

The one lure would be it puts Musselman closer to his mother, whom at last report was living in San Diego. There are probably better options if the desire is to be closer to family, but as of right now, those places don't have openings.

So, once again, until yet anotherpotential job is filled that might consider bringing Musselman into the fold, expect at least a handful of Arkansas fans to remain in total panic mode. This could go all summer long since one job filled usually means another job opens.

Such is the torturous life for this group of Razorbacks fans.