Hogs Fans Need to Chill, Use Logic for Musselman Job Situation

Rumors flying left, right send Arkansas Razorbacks' faith into tizzy, but proper thought process should calm things down

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Jan 29, 2024 6:53 PM EST

In this story:

Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – OK Arkansas fans. Please back away from the railing. You're making everyone else nervous.

Across social media, and in full disclosure the text messages of my cell phone, everyone and his brother plus two cousins twice removed claim to have a source saying Arkansas coach Eric Musselman is making specific demands for his contract renewal on one foot, while his other is trying to step into the door of every possible coaching vacancy in America. Just chill.

It's important to look at this in context and to use a bit of basic reasoning, as unpopular as that is in American discourse these days. Let's start with the first part of these rumors, as that's all they are at this point. Yes, there will likely be leaks of talks between Eric Musselman's agent and Hunter Yurachek.

That's because Musselman is due for a contract extension. His most recent contract came in 2021 just before going to a a second Elite 8 in as many years and a Sweet 16 with a high profile roster the following season. With football floundering the past two seasons and the Arkansas athletics department struggling financially, the value Musselman brought to the table not only in packing Bud Walton Arena and extending seasons in lucrative fashion has been immeasurable.

Even beyond the court, his willingness to jump on any show wishing to have him, plus his connections with professional sports organizations and with famous personalities has brought a level of free marketing the University of Arkansas could never afford. Long story short, his value increased over the last few years, and now he's reached the point where it's time to start figuring out how much that is monetarily.

Perhaps the most hilarious thing thrown out is a story about Musselman threatening to walk because he wants a lower buyout. Whomever dreamed this one up never bothered to look at the current numbers.

Once this season concludes, Musselman's buyout drops from a laughable $1 million to a virtually non-existent $750,000. Someone of his profile and value isn't going to get a lower buyout than that.

Now, there will be some haggling going on behind the scenes, but Yurachek isn't going to let Musselman walk over something relatively minor like a buyout. Yes, he will want a degree of protection if he's going to vault Musselman back up into the mid to upper tier of the Top 10 highest paid college basketball coaches with a new contract because that's a lot of money. A $1.5 million raise would move him from $4.1 million to $5.6 million, yet he still wouldn't crack the Top 5 nationally and would only be the fourth highest paid coach in the SEC behind John Calipari, Rick Barnes and Bruce Pearl.

So, there will be negotiations over a buyout structure, but not something to the level of killing a deal. It's just part of how negotiations work. Musselman's people will be OK with a little more on the buyout so long as there is more on the yearly paycheck. The same will be true the other way.

As for Musselman's name being floated through back channels to other schools, it's likely that is happening. If not, everyone in the Musselman's house has cause to push for his agent to be fired.

If this is raising concern, it has to be with people who are in their 30s or younger. Anyone who was old enough to remember the Houston Nutt years knows how Jimmy Sexton's group made sure to attach Nutt's name to every plausible job possible to make sure the Razorbacks' football coach got as many raises as possible.

It's just how the job is done. Besides, this is the one year the University of Arkansas might have the slightest leverage to keep contract talks a little reasonable as the team stumbles further down the SEC standings. The way to counteract that is by showing there's interest in Musselman elsewhere.

There will be grumpiness along the way. That's just part of contract negotiations. A lot of that will get blown out of context because Razorbacks fans are currently in a state of high emotion and Musselman hasn't been in the best of moods as the year has progressed either, although that seems to be improving a little.

Yurachek knows the Arkansas fans see the players as the issue and also understands there is going to be a massive cleaning of the stalls at year's end. Lack of eligibility ensures that either way.

Musselman has earned too much grace by replicating the Nolan Richardson years for Arkansas to risk losing its head coach. While Yurachek's done a great job overall with coaching hires and elevating the performance of the overall athletics department on the fields and courts, he is conscious of how disastrous it would be to lose Musselman and then follow with a third bad football season.

Meanwhile, even though his name is floated for other jobs, Musselman knows he has it good at Arkansas. His team is tanking and very little of the anger and frustration is being thrown his way. Also, he walked onto the court Saturday in front of a packed house of 20,000 rabid Razorbacks fans when his players had done nothing to deserve it. There's only one other place in America where 20,000 college basketball fans can even show up, much lets in the middle of a monumental train wreck.

Besides, a lot of those places where his name has supposedly popped up won't be too tolerant of Musselman. They won't support his gruff manner, old school coaching methods, sharpness toward various reporters and antics such as ripping off his shirt or dressing up for pregame speeches.

Having traveled the country talking with people in various athletics departments, there are things Arkansas fans simply love about Musselman that is despised elsewhere. He just won't be welcome as he is a taste some places just aren't willing to acquire.

Now, if for some reason pride got in the way and the two sides did decide to part, it would be bad for both parties. Arkansas has to replace more than half the roster at minimum and a coaching search isn't going to help. Also, Arkansas fans aren't going to be terribly accepting of whomever comes in if Musselman bails.

As for Musselman, he won't be able to capture what he's had here. There are only three, maybe be four places in America where college basketball is treated like professional basketball, and Arkansas is one. The massive crowds where everyone is foaming at the mouth for a reason to go crazy with support while fans for hundreds of miles who couldn't get a seat get lost in every move a coach and the players make is almost impossible to replicate.

So, calm down. It's all a process. There will be a lot of rumors as things play out, some of which might even be intentionally leaked whether true or not.

Just know both sides stand to lose a lot. There will be tensions as the days pass, but, in the end, odds are good mommy and daddy sort it all out and stay together. It's just what's best for business.