Eric Musselman leaves Arkansas to take over as head coach at USC
Eric Musselman has been officially announced as the new head coach at USC. Musselman has spent the last five seasons at Arkansas, leading to Razorbacks to a 111-59 record and three NCAA Tournaments, advancing to back-to-back Elite Eights in 2021 and 2022.
“I am beyond excited to welcome Eric, Danyelle and their incredible family to USC,” said AD Jennifer Cohen. “We were determined to find the best coach to champion the development of our student-athletes and elevate our men’s basketball program. His track record of building winning programs and his unwavering commitment to a culture of excellence make him the perfect fit for USC. Eric displays heart, boldness, resiliency, and everything that it means to be a Trojan. 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.”
Musselman, 59, has extensive coaching experience at a variety of levels but has been working in Division I college basketball since becoming an assistant at Arizona State in 2012. He was head coach at Nevada for four seasons (2015-19), leading the Wolfpack to three NCAA Tournaments and for much of the 2018-19 season had them ranked in the AP Top 10.
He has also worked in the pro game, including stints as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors (2002-04) and Sacramento Kings (2006-07) in the NBA and the Reno Bighorns (2010-11) and Los Angeles D-Fenders (2011-12) of the G League. His father, Bill Musselman, was also a career head coach at the collegiate and professional levels.
“My family and I couldn’t be more excited for this incredible opportunity at USC,” said Musselman. “I am grateful to President Folt and Jen Cohen for the chance to lead the men’s basketball program at such a world-class university with a rich tradition of success. 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.”
USC is moving to the Big Ten this summer and coming off a rough season in which a highly-touted recruiting class failed to translate to on-court success. The Trojans were led for the last eleven years by Andy Enfield, who recently left to take over as head coach at SMU.
credit to USC Athletics for the image
