Advertisement

Arkansas basketball hot board: 7 candidates to replace Eric Musselman as head coach

jackson fuller, fort smith southwest times record
·4 min read
1

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Eric Musselman is gone, and the Arkansas basketball program now faces the daunting challenge of finding his replacement.

According to CBS Sports, Musselman has accepted an offer to become the head coach at the University of Southern California.

Musselman led the Razorbacks to three NCAA Tournament appearances across five seasons, with the madness canceled due to the COVID pandemic in his fist year at Arkansas. He reached the second weekend all three times, with the Hogs playing in the Elite Eight twice.

The next leader of the program has massive shoes to fill. Below are seven potential candidates to replace Musselman as the new Arkansas basketball head coach.

Dec 29, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade coaches during the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade coaches during the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Will Wade, McNeese State head coach

Recruiting violations ended Wade's time at LSU prematurely, but he's found immediate success at McNeese State. The Cowboys went 30-4 during his first season and reached the NCAA Tournament.

Overall, Wade has a .691 winning percentage and has brought his team to the big dance in six of the past seven seasons, excluding the COVID-canceled tournament in 2020.

Feb 24, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Chris Beard reacts during the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 24, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Chris Beard reacts during the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Beard, Ole Miss head coach

The former Little Rock head coach worked miracles in his first year with the Rebels, leading Ole Miss to its first 20-win season since 2018-19. Before his time in Oxford, Beard led Little Rock to the NCAA Tournament and Texas Tech to a national runner-up honor in 2019. He's been successful at every stop and just signed an extension.

But sandwiched in-between Ole Miss and Texas Tech is a two-year stretch at Texas that ended in controversy. Beard was arrested on a third-degree felony charge of assault against a family member for strangulation, and he was fired by the Longhorns. His fiancée, the alleged victim, didn't pursue prosecution and the charges were eventually dismissed.

Jerome Tang, Kansas State head coach

Tang's stock skyrocketed last year as he guided Kansas State to the Elite 8 in just his first season at the helm. Tang was a longtime assistant at Baylor, and was on Scott Drew's staff as the Bears won a national championship in 2021.

More: Arkansas basketball transfer portal tracker 2024: Who is joining, leaving the Razorbacks

More: Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek confirms no new contract for Eric Musselman, comments on job rumors

The Wildcats couldn't replicate the success this past season, going 19-15 and losing in the first round of the NIT.

Josh Schertz, Indiana State head coach

Schertz was one of the best Division II coaches in the country before joining Indiana State in 2021. He won 337 games and led Lincoln Memorial to two Division II Final Fours in 13 seasons.

Schertz has now revitalized the Sycamores. Indiana State is in the NIT Championship and the 55 wins over the past two seasons are the school's most victories in a two-year stretch since 1977-79.

Kennesaw State Owls head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim instructs the team in the first half of a first-round college basketball game between the Kennesaw State Owls and the Xavier Musketeers in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 17, 2023, at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.
Kennesaw State Owls head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim instructs the team in the first half of a first-round college basketball game between the Kennesaw State Owls and the Xavier Musketeers in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 17, 2023, at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.

Amir Abdur-Rahim, South Florida head coach

Abdur-Rahim has had a meteoric coaching rise. He went 1-28 four seasons ago with Kennesaw State.

But that abysmal season was more about the state of the Owls' program before Abdur-Rahim's arrival. Three years later, Kennesaw State made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. He parlayed that accomplishment into his current position with South Florida, and the Bulls are coming off an American Athletic Conference title this season.

Richard Pitino, New Mexico

The son of Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino, Richard has done wonders with the Lobos, winning more than 20 games in back-to-back seasons. This season also marked the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014.

Richard went 141-121 with Minnesota over an eight-year stretch and has SEC experience, serving as an assistant coach at Florida under Billy Donovan.

Jai Lucas, Duke Associate Head Coach

Lucas is known as one of the top recruiters in the country, and he's spent time at both Texas and Kentucky before his current stop with the Blue Devils. In two seasons with UK, he helped the program sign five players who played in either the McDonald’s All-American or Jordan Brand Classic games.

His father, John Lucas II, is an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas basketball head coach hot board: 7 candidates to replace Eric Musselman