From @jacksoncollier
arkansas.rivals.com
Arkansas reportedly has an opening for the men's basketball head coach position as the Razorbacks seem to be on the hunt for a new leader with Eric Musselman reportedly taking the USC opening.
Who could the program bring in as the SEC is set to expand to 16 teams following the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the league?
Here’s the first edition of the Arkansas Basketball Coaching Search Hot Board from HawgBeat on some options after talking with sources and looking around college basketball.
Beard's name has been making the rounds as a possibility since January, when Musselman was initially tied to the Louisville job. Although Beard recently agreed to a new contract with Ole Miss, sources have indicated that the buyout amount is low and Beard "would listen" to Arkansas if the program reached out.
Given that Beard has a connection with some of the Arkansas brass, it is almost a certainty that the administration will reach out. Will he accept the job? Who knows, but it sounds like he would at least hear Arkansas Athletics Director Hunter Yurachek out.
Beard had a rapid rise in the coaching profession after leading Little Rock to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. He made a Final Four run with Texas Tech and then left for his supposed dream job at Texas, before being fired for a domestic dispute controversy.
In one season in Oxford, Beard turned the program around and has it poised for a return to the NCAA Tournament moving forward. On top of the connections to the administration and familiarity with the state, Beard wins basketball games and is one of the best coaches in the country. He could also likely bring assistant coach Wes Flanigan to Fayetteville and build a fence around the state of Arkansas.
Coaching Career:
1991–1995 Texas (GA)
1995–1996 Incarnate Word (GA)
1996–1997 Abilene Christian (assistant)
1997–1999 North Texas (assistant)
1999–2000 Fort Scott CC
2000–2001 Seminole State JC
2001–2011 Texas Tech (assoc. HC)
2011–2012 South Carolina Warriors
2012–2013 McMurry
2013–2015 Angelo State
2015–2016 Little Rock
2016–2021 Texas Tech
2021–2023 Texas
2023–present Ole Miss
Tang has also been mentioned along with Beard since Musselman was tied to Louisville, but mostly as a backup option. His name has popped up for multiple openings, as well, with reports surfacing of frustrations with the administration in Manhattan.
After a great first year at Kansas State that included a run to the Elite Eight, the Wildcats weren't as successful this season in part because of injuries and because their starting center was dismissed from the program despite being cleared by the NCAA.
A long-time assistant at Baylor under Scott Drew, Tang has a strong reputation as a player's coach and has done more with less so far at Kansas State. He is ideal for the NIL market and prospective donors in Northwest Arkansas, and could likely even help return some pieces that have entered the transfer portal already.
Coaching Career:
1993–2003 Heritage Christian Academy (TX)
2003–2017 Baylor (assistant)
2017–2022 Baylor (associate HC)
2022–present Kansas State
I know, I know. Arkansas fans despised Wade when he was at LSU, and he has the show-cause and infraction history, as well, but all things considered, what he did was not all that egregious, and he is an active coach in the NCAA right this second.
Wade just led McNeese to a 30-3 overall record and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where the Cowboys lost to 5-seed Gonzaga in the Round of 64. While he did not have a lot of postseason success at LSU, he was a fantastic recruiter. Schemes are still important, and Wade has the Xs-and-Os chops as well.
If Arkansas fans are willing to rinse the bad taste out of their mouths from his time in Baton Rouge, he would be a strong a-- hire.
Coaching Career:
2005–2007 Clemson (GA)
2007–2009 Harvard (assistant)
2009–2013 VCU (assistant)
2013–2015 Chattanooga
2015–2017 VCU
2017–2022 LSU
2023–present McNeese State
A name that has been thrown around very minimally, Underwood is an intriguing option at Illinois. While he is 60 years old, he is a consistent winner and has made eight of ten NCAA Tournaments in 11 years as a head coach. In all but one of those appearances, though, he has failed to advance past the Round of 32. His Illinois team did make it to the Elite Eight this season before falling to No. 1 UConn, 77-52.
Underwood is a hard-nosed coach who demands a lot of his players. While it is admittedly an interesting cultural fit, it could be a good hire with his history of winning. His lack of NCAA Tournament success could be a hard-sell after consistent success in the postseason under Musselman, but his quality as a coach can't be denied.
Coaching Career:
1986-1987 Hardin–Simmons (GA)
1988–1992 Dodge City CC
1992–2003 Western Illinois (assistant)
2003–2006 Daytona Beach CC
2006–2011 Kansas State (assistant)
2011–2012 Kansas State (associate HC)
2012–2013 South Carolina (associate HC)
2013–2016 Stephen F. Austin
2016–2017 Oklahoma State
2017–present Illinois
Without being too reactionary on recent and early success, McMillan seems like a rising star in the coaching industry. His brand of "Bucky Ball" has propelled Samford to one of the best mid major programs in the country. He led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament this year where they nearly knocked off Kansas in the Round of 64.
The exciting brand of basketball could thrive in Fayetteville and provide offensive firepower for the first time in years. Being from Alabama, the worry is that he could potentially leave if the Auburn or Alabama head coaching job ever opens up. There is also the concern about his early success not being sustainable, but regardless, he is a great value hire with a ton of potential who could excel in the portal. His experience as a high school coach will also allow him to build a rapport with coaches across the state, something that had been missing under Musselman.
Coaching Career:
2006–2008 Mountain Brook HS (assistant)
2008–2020 Mountain Brook HS
2020–present Samford
HawgBeat - Arkansas Basketball Coaching Search: Hot Board 2.0
HawgBeat takes a look at 8 candidates to replace Eric Musselman as head coach of the Arkansas basketball program.
arkansas.rivals.com
Arkansas reportedly has an opening for the men's basketball head coach position as the Razorbacks seem to be on the hunt for a new leader with Eric Musselman reportedly taking the USC opening.
Who could the program bring in as the SEC is set to expand to 16 teams following the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the league?
Here’s the first edition of the Arkansas Basketball Coaching Search Hot Board from HawgBeat on some options after talking with sources and looking around college basketball.
Chris Beard - Ole Miss
Beard's name has been making the rounds as a possibility since January, when Musselman was initially tied to the Louisville job. Although Beard recently agreed to a new contract with Ole Miss, sources have indicated that the buyout amount is low and Beard "would listen" to Arkansas if the program reached out.
Given that Beard has a connection with some of the Arkansas brass, it is almost a certainty that the administration will reach out. Will he accept the job? Who knows, but it sounds like he would at least hear Arkansas Athletics Director Hunter Yurachek out.
Beard had a rapid rise in the coaching profession after leading Little Rock to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. He made a Final Four run with Texas Tech and then left for his supposed dream job at Texas, before being fired for a domestic dispute controversy.
In one season in Oxford, Beard turned the program around and has it poised for a return to the NCAA Tournament moving forward. On top of the connections to the administration and familiarity with the state, Beard wins basketball games and is one of the best coaches in the country. He could also likely bring assistant coach Wes Flanigan to Fayetteville and build a fence around the state of Arkansas.
Coaching Career:
1991–1995 Texas (GA)
1995–1996 Incarnate Word (GA)
1996–1997 Abilene Christian (assistant)
1997–1999 North Texas (assistant)
1999–2000 Fort Scott CC
2000–2001 Seminole State JC
2001–2011 Texas Tech (assoc. HC)
2011–2012 South Carolina Warriors
2012–2013 McMurry
2013–2015 Angelo State
2015–2016 Little Rock
2016–2021 Texas Tech
2021–2023 Texas
2023–present Ole Miss
Jerome Tang - Kansas State
Tang has also been mentioned along with Beard since Musselman was tied to Louisville, but mostly as a backup option. His name has popped up for multiple openings, as well, with reports surfacing of frustrations with the administration in Manhattan.
After a great first year at Kansas State that included a run to the Elite Eight, the Wildcats weren't as successful this season in part because of injuries and because their starting center was dismissed from the program despite being cleared by the NCAA.
A long-time assistant at Baylor under Scott Drew, Tang has a strong reputation as a player's coach and has done more with less so far at Kansas State. He is ideal for the NIL market and prospective donors in Northwest Arkansas, and could likely even help return some pieces that have entered the transfer portal already.
Coaching Career:
1993–2003 Heritage Christian Academy (TX)
2003–2017 Baylor (assistant)
2017–2022 Baylor (associate HC)
2022–present Kansas State
Will Wade - McNeese State
I know, I know. Arkansas fans despised Wade when he was at LSU, and he has the show-cause and infraction history, as well, but all things considered, what he did was not all that egregious, and he is an active coach in the NCAA right this second.
Wade just led McNeese to a 30-3 overall record and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where the Cowboys lost to 5-seed Gonzaga in the Round of 64. While he did not have a lot of postseason success at LSU, he was a fantastic recruiter. Schemes are still important, and Wade has the Xs-and-Os chops as well.
If Arkansas fans are willing to rinse the bad taste out of their mouths from his time in Baton Rouge, he would be a strong a-- hire.
Coaching Career:
2005–2007 Clemson (GA)
2007–2009 Harvard (assistant)
2009–2013 VCU (assistant)
2013–2015 Chattanooga
2015–2017 VCU
2017–2022 LSU
2023–present McNeese State
Brad Underwood - Illinois
A name that has been thrown around very minimally, Underwood is an intriguing option at Illinois. While he is 60 years old, he is a consistent winner and has made eight of ten NCAA Tournaments in 11 years as a head coach. In all but one of those appearances, though, he has failed to advance past the Round of 32. His Illinois team did make it to the Elite Eight this season before falling to No. 1 UConn, 77-52.
Underwood is a hard-nosed coach who demands a lot of his players. While it is admittedly an interesting cultural fit, it could be a good hire with his history of winning. His lack of NCAA Tournament success could be a hard-sell after consistent success in the postseason under Musselman, but his quality as a coach can't be denied.
Coaching Career:
1986-1987 Hardin–Simmons (GA)
1988–1992 Dodge City CC
1992–2003 Western Illinois (assistant)
2003–2006 Daytona Beach CC
2006–2011 Kansas State (assistant)
2011–2012 Kansas State (associate HC)
2012–2013 South Carolina (associate HC)
2013–2016 Stephen F. Austin
2016–2017 Oklahoma State
2017–present Illinois
Bucky McMillan - Samford
Without being too reactionary on recent and early success, McMillan seems like a rising star in the coaching industry. His brand of "Bucky Ball" has propelled Samford to one of the best mid major programs in the country. He led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament this year where they nearly knocked off Kansas in the Round of 64.
The exciting brand of basketball could thrive in Fayetteville and provide offensive firepower for the first time in years. Being from Alabama, the worry is that he could potentially leave if the Auburn or Alabama head coaching job ever opens up. There is also the concern about his early success not being sustainable, but regardless, he is a great value hire with a ton of potential who could excel in the portal. His experience as a high school coach will also allow him to build a rapport with coaches across the state, something that had been missing under Musselman.
Coaching Career:
2006–2008 Mountain Brook HS (assistant)
2008–2020 Mountain Brook HS
2020–present Samford
