College basketball: Grading the 2019 coaching changes

College basketball: Grading the 2019 coaching changes – Who gets an A?

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 29: Head coach Buzz Williams of the Virginia Tech Hokies looks on in the first half of their game against the Duke Blue Devils during the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament East Regional Semifinals at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

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DES MOINES, IOWA – MARCH 21: Head coach Eric Musselman of the Nevada Wolf Pack instructs his team against the Florida Gators in the first half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Arkansas: Mike Anderson to Eric Musselman

Anderson had a reasonable run in Fayetteville, but this is a program with high expectations. In the end, his 169-102 record over eight seasons wasn’t good enough to earn him a new contract with the Razorbacks.

Musselman was always likely to leave Nevada after three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, but Arkansas wasn’t the obvious destination. He doesn’t have any obvious ties to the state or region. School officials are gambling on his energy and coaching acumen to overcome that obstacle.

The biggest question about Musselman is whether or not he can attract big-time talent to Arkansas. Remember, a lot of his success at Nevada was built on the backs of transfers. Specifically, Caleb and Cody Martin earned him a lot of victories.

That doesn’t mean Musselman can’t go the transfer route at Arkansas too, but that’s a little more difficult in the SEC. He’s clearly a guy who can coach the game, but he’ll need a strong recruiting staff to make sure he’s got the horses required to win big. Musselman is a reasonable bet for Arkansas, but he’s not a home run.

Grade: B