The Arkansas Razorbacks are unexpectedly in the market for a new men’s basketball head coach. Eric Musselman, who oversaw the team starting in 2019, has reportedly moved to USC after Andy Enfield left for the SMU gig. This leaves Arkansas in a bit of a tough spot, as all the top candidates have largely been scooped up.
This is a proud basketball program in the SEC, a league that has suddenly started to become more even on the hardwood. Kentucky and Florida still loom large, but programs like Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and Missouri have started to catch up. South Carolina and Vanderbilt are also known to throw their hat in the ring from time to time. Texas and Oklahoma joining the conference next year will only add to the competition.
Here’s a look at the some of the top names Arkansas will likely target for the opening.
Lamont Paris, South Carolina
Why leave the conference? Paris just took the Gamecocks to the NCAA tournament in his second season, but the Razorbacks have more resources and tradition to give him a better chance to compete at the highest level. Paris built up the Chattanooga program prior to his time at South Carolina, so he’s knows how to establish a foundation. It might be tough to poach him after just completing his second season in Columbia but he’s worth a call.
Jerome Tang, Kansas State
Tang’s name has been linked to a handful of other jobs this cycle and Arkansas is no different. The longtime Baylor assistant under Scott Drew made an immediate impact in his first year at K-State in 2023, coming up just short of taking the Wildcats to their first Final Four since 1964. A jump up to an SEC program with more money and resources would make sense.
Steve Alford, Nevada
It worked out last time with Musselman, and Alford has a history of taking over big programs. I know there are concerns about how his time at UCLA went and there’s a belief he is more successful in a mid-major setting with lesser expectations. However, the Razorbacks simply might not have other great options. Alford has won a lot of games, and he’s probably itching to get back into big-time hoops. This would be a risk but there’s a lot of experience and recruiting expertise with Alford other candidates won’t have.
Mike White, Georgia
If you’re looking for someone with familiarity in the SEC, White is not a bad choice. His record has not been as good as it should be, especially given the talent he had on some of his Florida teams. He did make an Elite Eight with the Gators, and was never bounced in the first round of the tournament in four trips there. He wouldn’t be a top choice but his familiarity with the SEC and knowledge of some of the best recruiting grounds in the country give him an edge over outsiders.
Sean Miller, Xavier
It hasn’t been going great for Miller at Xavier. He’s well behind the likes of UConn, Marquette and Creighton in the Big East, and the old recruiting edges he used to have are largely gone thanks to the introduction of NIL money and donor collectives. However, he does have experience running a massive basketball operation at Arizona. The methods might not be the cleanest but if this is purely about winning games, Miller has the edge on a lot of candidates.
Amir Abdur-Rahim, South Florida
If Arkansas wants to go outside of the more established names, Abdur-Rahim is a name to look at. He’s been successful as a head coach at Kennasaw State and South Florida, while having SEC ties when he was an assistant with Georgia and Texas A&M. He’s only been at USF for one season though, so the Razorbacks will have to contend with a potentially hefty buyout to get him.