Eric Musselman Hired as Arkansas Head Coach After 4 Seasons with Nevada

The Arkansas Razorbacks have their next men's basketball coach.

On Sunday, Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek announced his school hired Eric Musselman for the position that was vacant after the Razorbacks fired Mike Anderson:

Musselman was the head coach of the Nevada Wolf Pack for the last four seasons and helped them reach the last three NCAA tournaments. They notably reached the Sweet 16 in 2018 and won the Mountain West Conference's regular-season crown in each of the last three years.

Gary Parrish of CBS Sports noted the school began conversations with Musselman "early last week."

Arkansas' new coach went 110-34 at Nevada during a tenure that featured an immediate turnaround. It won nine games the year before he was hired only to win 24 in his first season and become a regular in the Big Dance. It had missed the tournament eight straight years prior to his arrival.

Last year's Sweet 16 appearance was Nevada's first since 2004.

The Razorbacks are looking for a similar turnaround after missing the tournament this season. They also haven't been to the Sweet 16 since 1996 and made the Big Dance just three times in Anderson's eight seasons.

Musselman will compete against a loaded SEC that features strong programs in Kentucky, Auburn, Tennessee and LSU, among others, which will be a challenge after thriving in the Mountain West.