Eric Musselman leaves Arkansas for USC

The Muss Bus has officially departed Fayetteville and is en route to Southern California — for good. No more 910 area codes lighting up every portal player in existence. Those will now be coming from the 213.

Eric Musselman has taken the head coaching job at USC, according to reports from ESPN, CBS Sports and The Field of 68, among others. He leaves Arkansas after five seasons, leading the Razorbacks to a 111-59 overall record with three Sweet 16s and two Elite Eights.

Musselman will replace Andy Enfield, who left the Trojans to take the head coaching job at SMU following an 11-year stint in Los Angeles. That moved was deemed a  “game changer” for the Mustangs, a program armed with financial resources and a recruiting hotbed of elite talent in Dallas.

USC had to swing big in finding a replacement with Enfield out after racking up a 220-146 overall record. They reportedly kicked the tires on Buzz Williams, Jamie Dixon, Jerome Tang, Niko Medved and Mark Pope before quickly moving on Musselman and securing a deal with the 59-year-old.

The veteran coach is no stranger to the West Coast, playing at San Diego before making various coaching stops with the Golden State Warriors (2002-04), Sacramento Kings (2006-07), Reno Bighorns (2010-11), Los Angeles D-Fenders (2011-12), Arizona State (assistant, 2012-14) and Nevada (2015-19), then to Arkansas in 2019.

The coaching carousel continues to spin, and it has officially shaken up the heavy hitters of the SEC. All eyes on the Razorbacks, now arguably the best available job in college basketball.

Who will take Musselman’s place in Fayetteville? Early rumblings suggest Chris Beard is interested and the betting favorite.