One Arkansas Coach Not Shying Away from 30-Year National Title Expectation

There are plenty of Razorback sports that might take home national championship, but only one Head Hog is brave enough to fully embrace openly believing it

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Nov 3, 2023 1:20 AM EDT

In this story:

Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – As the story goes, Arkansas is good for a national championship outside the many variations of track and field once every 30 years.

While the sports almanacs don't show it, the football team is among three teams that claim to have won a national title in college football in 1964. Alabama is the officially recognized champion and Notre Dame technically has a championship that year much in the same vein as the Razorbacks.

Then, in 1994, Duke and Arkansas began the season each ranked No. 3 depending on whether you follow college basketball's AP or Coaches' Poll, but at year's end, the Razorbacks had their first and only undisputed national championship in a major sport. Nolan Richardson's team took down the favored Blue Devils in North Carolina, 76-72.

Now, 30 years later, there are plenty of options for another national title winner. The No. 10 women's soccer team just shut out No. 18 Mississippi State to advance to the SEC Tournament Finals. The volleyball team is so good a member of the SMU athletics department made the effort to catch up specifically to ask how the Razorbacks ended up with such a strong team. Ranked No. 8 nationally, the Hogs have only lost one game since August ended. Two of Arkansas' three losses are against No. 2 Wisconsin way back in summer.

Meanwhile, the baseball team looks like it could have the pitching staff to make a national title run if the injury bug can finally stay away. However, it's unlikely Dave Van Horn is going to come out the gate brazenly putting the idea of a national championship in fans' minds. He knows the toll a long season can take and how exhausting the grind of the SEC can be. Plus, that's just not in his DNA.

However, there is one coach on campus whose DNA is 10% nucleotides and 90% bravado – Eric Musselman – the shirt strippin', pro sport trippin', microphone grippin', living embodiment of the chicken hawk from the Foghorn Leghorn cartoons. Where most coaches would shy away from filling fans' minds with reminders of the every 30 year expectation, Musselman is embracing it to the fullest.

As if the exhibition win over No. 3 Purdue didn't stir up a Razorback fan base desperate for any regularly occurring TV sport to give them a reason to cheer these days, the Hogs' head coach and in-house marketing team decided that on literally Game 1 of the season, everyone would get an in-your-face reminder that its been 30 years since Richardson's team won the championship. Promotions letting student know they will be given commemorative jerseys with the No. 94 written on them at the home opener have been all over social media.

He's even turned the focus to March in the Razorbacks' locker room before the season officially begins. Sporting what looks at first like an Arkansas replica basketball uniform from back in Musselman's college basketball days in the early 80s, he bursts into the room like he's sponsored by Energizer, which it appears he may actually be. Turns out, about halfway through the video, it becomes apparent he was in a track uniform, complete with starting blocks.

"When you're running track, you look to the right, you look to the left, you look behind you," Musselman said. "We're not doing any of that. We're running straight ahead, full speed, all the way through March."

This is exactly why these players signed up and others shied away. Arkansas fans don't think once, much less twice about SEC titles or SEC Tournament championships. There's only one goal. Get in the NCAA tournament, however that has to happen, and then go win it.

Musselman gets that. He also sees an opportunity to take advantage of a beleaguered fan base following a down year in football.

They're his to fully weaponize against any team that dares darken the doors of Bud Walton and he knows the best ways to do that is to whip them into a frenzy. And nothing whips Razorback fans into more of a frenzy than a huge win over a Top 5 team, even if it didn't count, and reminding them it's a championship year. He has already sent a clear message that fully expects his veteran team to go take what Arkansas fans believe is rightfully theirs.

Well played Musselman, well played. Now you just have to go feed the beast.