Eric Musselman And Wife Breaks The Silence And Bids Razorback Heartfelt Farewell..
Arkansas basketball coach Eric Musselman departed from his post atop the Razorbacks program Thursday, accepting an offer to become the next head coach at USC in a stunning turn of events on the college basketball coaching carousel.
Musselman spent five years at Arkansas and guided his teams to three-straight NCAA Tournaments and now replaces former Trojans coach Andy Enfield, who earlier in the week accepted the same job at SMU.
Following USC’s official announcement of the Musselman hire, the Trojans’ new head man released a farewell statement to his previous school via social media, thanking Razorbacks fans for their support across five seasons.
“Thank you, Arkansas,” Musselman said. “From the moment my family and I stepped into this state and onto this beautiful campus, you have welcomed us and made us feel at home.
The last five years have been so special for my family and I. They have been filled with so many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life. I hope this time gave you some special moments, too
“Thank you, Razorback fans. You are among the most passionate, knowledgeable and dedicated in the country. We would like to thank Hunter Yurachek, the entire athletic department, the student athletes, student body, and alumni for their unwavering support and energy.
Musselman cemented himself among the most successful coaches in college basketball throughout his Arkansas tenure.
Following three Mountain West regular-season championships in four years at Nevada, he landed at Arkansas and took the Razorbacks to three Sweet 16s in five seasons and logged the seventh and eighth Elite Eight appearances in program history. He holds a career 314-221 (.704) record.
Arkansas, for the first time under Musselman’s direction, fell far short of expectations this year, winning just 16 games in its first sub-.500 campaign since 2009-10.
The Razorbacks entered the season ranked No. 14 in the AP Top 25 Poll and boasted potential NBA talent on their roster but limped to their worst record of Musselman’s tenure and stunningly finished two spots out of last place in the SEC.
Musselman signed a revised contract in April 2021, which raised his salary above $4 million and made him one of the nation’s highest-paid coaches.
His deal with the Razorbacks would have taken him through the 2027-28 season, but his premature exit comes with him standing just three wins shy of moving into fifth place on Arkansas’ all-time wins leaderboard.
The move comes just days after athletic director Hunter Yurachek said, “we very much want him to be an Arkansas Razorback. We feel like where his contract currently sits, he’s compensated in the top 12 to 15 coaches in the country. He’s earned that compensation and done a great job.”