Musselman has NBA experience, which sells to today's recruits.
He won 76.4% at Nevada, Followed by going 20-12 his first year at Arkansas and 22-6 this year.
His 2020 (first full cycle) recruiting class was 5th nationally. This year he is bringing in the 85th ranked player, 4th ranked and #1 PF JUCO prospect, and is a 6-7 SF transfer.
Excerpts from Wiki
Coaching Style:
On his blog, Musselman wrote about the importance of matching an offense to the "team's make up." Depending on the roster, a half-court offense might make more sense. In other cases, a team may be better suited for an "open offense." According to Musselman, the idea is to allow players to "play to their strengths."
As head coach of the
Golden State Warriors, Musselman would often use "three-guard rotations to create mismatches and fast-break opportunities for his club."
According to former NBA coach
Jeff Van Gundy, Musselman is "as competitive of a guy as I've ever coached against. He's a brilliant offensive mind."
According to University of Kentucky head coach
John Calipari, "Eric is one of the best in our sport. Extremely driven and knowledgeable. I've watched and coached against him in the NBA and FIBA games. He has an uncanny feel for the game, and ability to read where the game is at. More importantly, is his ability to motivate and teach his players what it takes to improve and win. He is as good as it gets."
Developing Players:
In an August 2011 interview on NBA.com, Musselman said that, as a coach, "you have to continually figure out a way to get your players better." According to
Gerald Green, who played for Musselman with the D-League's Los Angeles D-Fenders in 2012, Musselman "did a hell of a job really motivating me, really pushing me every day in practice when I was with L.A. I have to give him credit [for improving my game]." Green said that Musselman "rode me about staying focused. Don’t take even a second off of any play. Don’t take any plays off. Don’t take practice for granted."
Like Green,
Jeremy Lin has also credited Musselman with aiding his development. In February 2012, Lin said that when he played for Musselman in the D-League, "he gave me the opportunity to play through mistakes."
Kevin Martin (basketball), who played for Musselman with the
Sacramento Kings in 2006–07, told NBA.com that Musselman helped him learn how to draw more fouls. According to Martin, Musselman "saw how teams were playing me and how they got up into me and told me to start absorbing that contact. He said I could score a lot more points in this league if I got to the free throw line. He put an emphasis on me night in night out with that part of the game. He was always pounding it into me and it paid off."
In a May 9, 2013, article by CBSSports.com college basketball writer
Gary Parrish, Arizona State guard
Jahii Carson credited Musselman with helping him develop as a player. "Coach Muss is a great guy with a lot of knowledge because he's coached a lot of great players", said Carson. "He's given me a lot of great advice … about what NBA people are looking for, about how NBA guys don't take days off, how they're always in the gym doing conditioning or something, always trying to better their games. A guy like me? I didn't know anything like that having never been around the NBA game. So, he's somebody who has helped me."
During the 2013–14 season, Musselman worked with Arizona State center
Jordan Bachynski, helping the 7-foot-2 senior with his footwork. After the season, Bachynski earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors.
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Move to College Ranks:
In October 2007, ESPN reported that Musselman had a desire to coach at the collegiate level. According to
Andy Katz, senior college basketball writer for ESPN.com, "Musselman wants to coach in college and is starting the process of getting his name out among search committees so that he's a viable candidate in March." In late December 2007,
FOX Sports reported that Musselman was a likely candidate to replace 71-year-old
Eddie Sutton at the
University of San Francisco after this season. In January 2008, his name surfaced in press reports surrounding the head coaching position at Oregon State. In March 2008, Musselman's name surfaced in published reports about the California and
Loyola Marymount head coaching positions.
On August 30, 2012,
Andy Katz reported on ESPN.com's College Basketball Nation Blog that
Arizona State University was in talks to hire Musselman as an assistant coach on
Herb Sendek's staff.
[50] On September 2, 2012, Katz confirmed Musselman's hiring, describing it as a "bold move" and a "coup" for Sendek.
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Former NBA coach
Jeff Van Gundy predicted that Musselman will be an excellent recruiter "because of his competitive nature and what he has to sell. This is a guy who can tell kids exactly what it takes to play in the NBA."
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Fifteen games into Arizona State's 2012–13 season, ESPN's
Andy Katz wrote that "It's hard to ignore the difference [guard Jahii] Carson and assistant coach Eric Musselman are making at Arizona State." According to Katz, "The Sun Devils were painful to watch last season. Now, ASU has multiple options and while it still grinds out wins..."
[53] On January 9, 2013, ESPN's Jason King wrote that "adding former NBA head coach Eric Musselman...to his staff has also been a huge plus for Sendek and his players." Quoted in King's story, Arizona State center
Jordan Bachynski said, "When [Musselman and Greer] speak, guys listen, just because they have that credibility from being in the league. The way they approach the game … it's no BS. They say, 'This is how it's done. If you don't like it, you're not going to play.'"
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