Minnesota Basketball: 5 candidates to replace Richard Pitino as head coach

Eric Musselman

There are a number of directions Minnesota could go with their next head coach. They could certainly already be considering names not on this list, and at this point, it’s impossible to say who would be successful with the Golden Gophers. If they’re looking for another home run hire with ties to the university then Musselman is a clear frontrunner.

Musselman has embarked on a long coaching career that’s included time as an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves. His father Bill was formerly the Golden Gopher’s head coach, while Eric has head coaching experience in the NBA, D-League, and collegiate level. Musselman put together some fantastic rosters in four years leading Nevada before being hired by Arkansas in 2019. In just two seasons, he’s already turned the Razorbacks into an SEC title threat, leading them back to the NCAA Tournament this season.

Following just two seasons with Arkansas, would Musselman really leave the team that quickly? There’s no question that coaching in the Big Ten would be attractive, but Musselman has a shot to build something at Arkansas and would be abandoning ship rather quickly. He has the connections to the school and area and would certainly be interested in the Big Ten; it just comes down to if he’d be willing to abandon Arkansas so soon.