Louisville Coaching Candidate Profile: Arkansas Head Coach Eric Musselman
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville fired men's basketball head coach Kenny Payne last week week, ending a two-year stint with the Cardinals. As the coaching search begins, we will break down each potential candidate, from the realistic to the far reaches. Next up, we'll take a look at Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Eric Musselman.
Name: Eric Musselman
Age: 59
Born and Raised: Ashland, Ohio
Playing Career: University of San Diego Toreros
Previous Experience: Head coach of Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, assistant for four other NBA teams. Associate head coach at both Arizona State and LSU, head coach at Nevada from 2015 to 2019 before taking Arkansas job.
Connections to Louisville: None.
Pros: Musselman has a plethora of basketball experience across several levels of the sport. He has not only been a head coach at the collegiate level, but also in the NBA with the Warriors and Kings, and at the international level with the Dominican Republic and Venezuelan national teams. While his time in the college game ranks has been brief compared to most other head coaches, Musselman has had nothing but success. He posted a 110-34 record at Nevada, guiding the Wolfpack to three NCAA Tournament appearances in his four seasons there, including a trip to the Sweet 16. While his most recent season at Arkansas was a disappointment, that was preceded by him guiding the Razorbacks to three-straight second weekend appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including two Elite Eights. Former players have also credited him as a tremendous player developer, as three of his four full recruiting cycles at Arkansas have been top 15 classes - including signing two McDonald's All Americans in the '22 class. Mussel man also very much embraces the modern college basketball recruiting landscape, considering he has brought in 15 transfers over the past three seasons.
Cons: Arguably the biggest drawback with Musselman is that he has not stayed in one spot for very long. In fact, his current five-year run with Arkansas is the longest he has been at one spot since he was the head coach of the CBA's Rapid City Thrillers from 1991 to 1997. Something else to consider is that, even at 59-years-old, Musselman has not been involved with the college game for very long. His first gig came back in 2012 as an assistant coach at Arizona State - just over a decade ago. Still, credit is due for his ability to ascend up the coaching ranks. He also has a high-intensity personality that - while it isn't necessarily a "con", per se - isn't everyone's cup of tea. This is evident in the fact that Musselman regularly has turnover in his assistant coaching staff. Lastly, while Musselman very much embraces NIL and the transfer portal, his decision to add five guards to the 2023-24 team was an interesting decision, and one that likely played a role in the Razorbacks' disappointing year.
Other Factors: Musselman might have the most manageable buyout situation out of any potential candidate. In fact, his buyout plummeted to just a measly $750,000 as soon as Arkansas' 2023-24 season ended. Going back to his high-tensity personality, it also translates into his work ethic, with multiple former players and coaches raving about his attention to detail. There's also the report that Musselman very much wants the Louisville job.
Odds of becoming Louisville's next head coach: Low to Moderate. As mentioned earlier this week, Baylor head coach Scott Drew is undoubtedly Louisville's No. 1 target, and there have been recent rumors that the smoke surrounding FAU head coach Dusty May is very real. That being said, if the Cardinals happen to strikeout on those two, as well as with UCLA head coach Mick Cronin or any of their other perceived candidates, do not be shocked if Musselman-to-Louisville gains some steam. Especially if the search happens to drag out longer than expected.
Other Candidates:
(Photo of Eric Musselman: Denny Simmons - The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK)
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