8. Eric Musselman (USC)
An eventful coaching career has taken Musselman around the country over the last 35 years, including multiples stints as an NBA head coach. He’s really hit his stride at the college level more recently, winning a boatload of games in the MWC at Nevada before a five-year stretch at Arkansas that included two Elite Eight’s and a Sweet Sixteen appearance.
Musselman headed back home for USC in 2024 just as the Trojans transitioned into the Big Ten. Unfortunately, he hasn’t quite had that breakthrough quite yet that he experienced with both Nevada and Arkansas. USC has tied for 12th place in the Big Ten in each of his first two seasons and haven’t really been in any national conversations, with a 35-32 combined record.
Recruiting has certainly changed in recent years with NIL after Musselman built elite squads using the transfer portal a decade ago. Whether or not the game has passed him by, building USC back into a national contender in this new, tougher league isn’t an easy task but it’s hard to find a coach more fit to handle that job.
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