USC hires Arkansas' Eric Musselman to replace Andy Enfield
Pete Thamel Jeff Borzello Close Jeff Borzello ESPN Staff Writer Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware. Apr 4, 2024, 03:15 PM ET USC has hired Arkansas’ Eric Musselman as its next coach, the school announced Thursday. Musselman replaces Andy Enfield, who left USC after 11 seasons to become the … USC has hired Arkansas' Eric Musselman as its next coach, replacing Andy Enfield who left USC after 11 seasons to become the coach at SMU. The announcement was made by the school ahead of Mussellman's departure from Arkansas. He replaces Enfield, who had previously been the head coach of the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings. Prior to taking over at Arkansas, Musselmen was the head Coach at Nevada and led the Wolf Pack to three Mountain West regular-season titles and three NCAA tournament appearances. He will be introduced at a news conference on Friday. The school is one of four Pac-12 schools joining the Big Ten, along with UCLA, Washington and Oregon, to form an 18-team conference.
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USC has hired Arkansas’ Eric Musselman as its next coach, the school announced Thursday.
Musselman replaces Andy Enfield, who left USC after 11 seasons to become the coach at SMU.
“My family and I couldn’t be more excited for this incredible opportunity at USC,” Musselman, who will be introduced Friday at a news conference, said in a statement. “We will be committed to the development of our student-athletes and upholding the values that make the Trojan Family so special. We will hit the ground running and work tirelessly to make our great alumni, fans and all of Los Angeles proud.”
Musselman, 59, is coming off his worst season since arriving in Fayetteville in 2019. The Razorbacks finished 16-17 overall and 6-12 in the SEC, but he had led the program to back-to-back Elite Eights and a Sweet 16 appearance the previous three seasons. In 2020-21, Arkansas won 11 of its final 12 games to end the regular season and then advanced to the regional final before falling to eventual national champion Baylor.
Despite a revamped roster the following season, the Razorbacks won 14 of 16 to end the regular season and reached the Elite Eight, where they lost to Duke. Last season, Arkansas struggled down the stretch of the season, but earned an 8-seed in the NCAA tournament. After beating Illinois in the first round, the Razorbacks beat top-seed Kansas in the second round to once again advance to the second weekend. Before Musselman’s arrival, Arkansas hadn’t advanced to the Sweet 16 since 1996.
In five seasons at Arkansas, Musselman was 111-59.
USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen said Musselman has a track record of building winning programs and has a commitment to creating a culture of excellence.
“Eric displays heart, boldness, resiliency and everything that it means to be a Trojan,” Cohen said. “He inspires togetherness and will help build and grow the program’s connectivity within the Trojan community. As we move to the Big Ten and enter a new chapter for USC Men’s Basketball, there is no better fit than Eric Musselman to launch our program to new heights.”
Prior to taking over at Arkansas, Musselman was the head coach at Nevada for four seasons, leading the Wolf Pack to three Mountain West regular-season titles and three NCAA tournament appearances — including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2017-18. They won at least 24 games in each of Musselman’s four seasons in Reno, going 110-34 during his time with the program.
Musselman, the son of former NBA coach Bill Musselman, has coached at different levels of the sport since 1989. He was the head coach of the Golden State Warriors from 2002-04, finishing as runner-up for NBA Coach of the Year in his first year, and the Sacramento Kings for one season in 2006-07. He also spent time in the CBA, the USBL, the D-League and coached the Dominican Republic and Venezuela national teams.
USC is one of four Pac-12 schools joining the Big Ten this summer, along with UCLA, Washington and Oregon, to form an 18-team conference.
The roster will have a different look in 2024-25, as leading scorer Boogie Ellis is out of eligibility, freshman Isaiah Collier could declare for the NBA draft and Kobe Johnson said Thursday he is transferring to UCLA. Bronny James, the son of LeBron, remains on the roster after averaging 4.8 points in mostly a reserve role as a freshman. He was initially sidelined for nearly five months after being diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Topics: Academia, USC