Eric Musselman reveals what it's like returning to San Francisco after NBA dismissal

The Arkansas Razorbacks are just a few hours away from a Sweet 16 showdown with No. 1-seed Gonzaga in San Francisco. For Hogs coach Eric Musselman, it’s a scenario he never imagined after leaving the Bay Area as a dismissed NBA head coach.

“To come back and be able to play here is — the day that I was either fired from the Kings or the Warriors to think that I would be coaching in a Sweet 16 in the Bay Area, if anybody would have asked me that at that particular time I would have told them there was zero chance,” Musselman said. “Not 5%, not 10%, literally zero chance of that happening. I guess the world has a funny way of working itself out.”

Musselman, who began his coaching career in the pros, broke into the collegiate game in 2012. He led the Nevada Wolfpack to three conference titles and three NCAA tournament appearances before taking over at Arkansas. His Razorbacks are in their second Sweet 16 in his third season.

Although the Hogs are almost 10-point underdogs against Gonzaga on Thursday night, Musselman and his team will play in front of a very friendly crowd. The head coaches’ Bay Area ties ensure that.

“It’s been really cool,” Musselman, a University of San Diego alum, said Wednesday. “I have a bunch of people coming to the hotel later this afternoon when we have downtime at 4:00 today. Just so many friends.

“It’s difficult with tickets. One of my cousins, Chris Anderson, that I basically grew up with, he has been one of my best friends. I had to send him the link to the Arkansas ticket office, and he is, like, ‘What are you talking about? I’m not one of the guys that just gets a ticket from you?'”

Musselman gives the Razorbacks the grand tour

After so many years spent in California, Eric Musselman served as the perfect tour guide for his squad this week. He also made sure the guys were decked out in Bay Area gear.

Headed to the Bay! #BayHogs pic.twitter.com/Aa1QOzo0Jo

— Eric Musselman (@EricPMusselman) March 22, 2022

“One of the players didn’t know that the Oakland baseball team was actually called the Athletics, and wanted to know what that meant and how it turned into the A’s,” Musselman told the media. “So I went into a history lesson about Charlie Finley and went into a history lesson about the uniforms and the colors. Billy Martin managing them. I don’t know if they listened or heard anything I said, but I think that’s part of our job. We’re going to have a little tour later today of the city and get on a trolley, and I think that’s part of the experience.

“I’ve said it in past interviews, it also helps me from overloading them. If we’re touring the city, it’s one less film session, one less putting pressure on the guys, and so I think it’s healthy for us to be able to do stuff like that.”