FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas men's basketball head coach Eric Musselman is packing up and moving to Southern California.
The USC Trojans basketball team announced Musselman on Thursday, posting a graphic on X welcoming him as the next head coach.
Musselman released a statement after the hiring became official, sharing his gratitude and excitement for his new position.
"My family and I couldn't be more excited for this incredible opportunity at USC," Musselman said. "We will be committed to the development of our student-athletes and upholding the values that make the Trojan Family so special. We will hit the ground running and work tirelessly to make our great alumni, fans and all of Los Angeles proud."
Musselman followed up with a separate post on X, thanking the Arkansas Razorbacks and fans — describing his time at the university as "special."
"The last five years have been so special for my family and I," Musselman said. "They have been filled with so many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life. I hope this time gave [Arkansas] some special moments too."
The former Razorback coach will fill the head coaching void left behind by Andy Enfield, who accepted the same position at SMU of the American Athletic Conference.
In his five seasons at Arkansas, Musselman amassed a 111-59 overall record and three NCAA Tournament appearances—three Sweet 16 and two Elite Eight trips. Additionally, he produced six NBA draft selections and helped the Razorbacks land the nation's No. 5 recruiting class for the 2020-21 season and the consensus No. 2 recruiting class for the 2022-23 season.
The announcement comes after a whirlwind week in which Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek shared an 18-second video on X, formerly known as Twitter, hinting at Musselman's possible return to the program.
On Monday, Yurachek confirmed during an interview with 1 Star Recruits that he had not consulted with Musselman before sharing the video.
"That video was to just dispel some of the rumors that, 'Hey, he's still our basketball coach,'" Yurachek said. "That was my sense of humor coming across. That was not something that was coordinated or a collaborated effort between myself and Coach Musselman."
After USC announced Musselman as its next head coach, Yurachek issued a statement and said he was "appreciative" of Musselman's work at Arkansas and wished his family the "best as they pursue their next chapter."
The Razorbacks are looking to move past their first losing season since 2010. This year also marked the first time Musselman finished with a record under .500 in his nine-year college coaching career.
Yurachek said a national search is underway for a new men's basketball head coach.
"As our success has demonstrated throughout the history of our program, the University of Arkansas is one of the premier opportunities in college basketball," Yurachek said. "I am confident we will identify a leader for our program that will build on the rich tradition of Razorback Basketball and provide a nationally competitive program for our university, our state and passionate Razorback fans everywhere."