UA finalizes deal with Nevada's Eric Musselman to be Hogs' next basketball coach

FAYETTEVILLE — Eric Musselman, who led Nevada to the NCAA Tournament the last three seasons, is University of Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek’s choice to be the Razorbacks’ new basketball coach.

Yurachek and Musselman finalized an agreement Sunday afternoon for Musselman to take the Arkansas job. Yurachek announced the hire in a tweet.

Musselman will be formally introduced at an event open to the public Monday at 3 p.m. inside Bud Walton Arena.

[DOCUMENT: Read UA's offer letter to Eric Musselman]

Musselman's agreement is for five years and he will be paid $2.5 million before incentives. His contract will automatically extend by one season and he will earn a $100,000 raise if his team plays in the NCAA Tournament.

Musselman, 54, is replacing Mike Anderson, who was fired on March 26 by Yurachek after eight seasons and a 169-102 record with three NCAA Tournament appearances in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

Arkansas will be Musselman’s second college head coaching position, but he has extensive experience in the professional ranks, including a combined three seasons as an NBA head coach with Golden State and Sacramento.

“Eric Musselman is a coach that has had experience at every level of basketball from the NCAA to the NBA,” Yurachek said in a news release. “He was practically born into the game and his passion for basketball is unmistakable.

“He has been successful throughout his career, including the remarkable job he did in returning the University of Nevada into a perennial NCAA Tournament team.

“Coach Musselman is high-energy and possesses an extremely high basketball IQ. He has a great attention to detail and has structured his programs to develop players individually while building a successful team.”

Musselman had a 110-34 record in four seasons with Nevada, highlighted by a run to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2018 when the Wolf Pack beat Texas and Cincinnati before losing to Loyola-Chicago.

This season Nevada finished 29-5, won its third consecutive Mountain West Conference championship and lost to Florida 70-61 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed.

Musselman had three years remaining on a five-year contract extension he signed with Nevada after the 2016-17 season. He owes Nevada a $1 million buyout that must be paid within 90 days.

“My family and I couldn’t be more excited to be coming to the University of Arkansas,” Musselman said in a statement. “The opportunity to be a part of the rich tradition of Razorback Basketball and to experience the passion of the Razorback fans is something that I am very much looking forward to.

“I am appreciative of the professional manner in which Hunter Yurachek conducted the search and am grateful for the support of Chancellor [Joe] Steinmetz and all of those affiliated with the University of Arkansas.

“I am ready to get to work with our student-athletes to prepare our program to compete at the highest level of college basketball.”

Musselman has one season of experience in the SEC. He was an LSU assistant coach for Johnny Jones during the 2014-15 season when the Tigers finished 22-11 and played in the NCAA Tournament. It was the only NCAA Tournament appearance for LSU in Jones’ five seasons as coach.

Musselman was hired at Nevada after the 2014-15 season.

The Wolf Pack was 9-22 the season before Musselman took the job. They finished 24-14 in his first season and won the 2016 College Basketball Invitational championship by taking two of three games from Morehead (Ky.) State in the finals.

Before going to LSU, Musselman was an assistant coach at Arizona State for two seasons from 2012-14.

As an NBA head coach, Musselman led Golden State and Sacramento and to a combined 108-138 record.

After the Warriors went 38-44 record during the 2002-03 season, Musselman finished second in the NBA coach of the year voting to San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich.

Musselman led Golden State to a 37-45 record during the 2003-04 season and was fired. He coached Sacramento to a 33-49 record during the 2006-07 season and was fired.

After being a backup guard at the University of San Diego from 1983-87, Musselman began his coaching career in the Continental Basketball Association — which is now known as the G League and previously also was called the NBA Developmental League — as head coach of the Rapid City (S.D.) Thrillers in 1989. He was 23.

The next season Musselman joined his father, Bill, as an assistant coach in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Musselman also was an NBA assistant with Orlando, Atlanta and Memphis.