HOGS ASSISTANT Corey Williams heads to Texas Tech.
FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman has an opening on his staff.
Corey Williams, an Arkansas assistant coach for Musselman’s first two seasons, is leaving to be an assistant coach at Texas Tech, according to a report by national college basketball writer Jeff Goodman.
Williams will join the staff of new Red Raiders Coach Mark Adams, who was promoted when Chris Beard left Texas Tech for Texas.
Texas Tech has not yet announced the hiring of Williams, who didn’t return messages seeking comment.
Musselman wasn’t specific about which college is hiring Williams, but said he expects Williams to leave Arkansas.
“Not really sure what I can comment on other than to say, yes, Corey has spoken to another program, and we anticipate him taking another job,” Musselman said.
Williams, who came to Arkansas after being the head coach at Stetson, is going to the school that Arkansas eliminated in the NCAA Tournament. The Razorbacks beat the Red Raiders 68-66 in a second-round game to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1996.
“Corey’s incredible,” Musselman said. “Sometimes new opportunities arise and you look at that as a new challenge.
“So we would anticipate him taking another job, and we’re going to miss him because he was a big-time part of our family for sure.”
Musselman said he would first look at his existing staff in the search to replace Williams.
He mentioned Earl Boykins (director of student-athlete development), Anthony Ruta (director of operations), Hays Myers (special assistant to the head coach), Pat Ackerman (recruiting coordinator) and his son Michael Musselman (director of recruiting) as possible candidates.
“All those guys aspire to be coaches,” Musselman said. “So I think you first take a deep breath and look internally. Then I have a list of really just a few people that you kind of always have in the back of your mind if there’s ever any change.
“We’ll just take our time, but move as quickly as we can on having a full staff.”
Musselman said he doesn’t have a specific timetable for when he needs to fill the staff vacancy.
“I think that in the [transfer] portal, I’m probably the lead recruiter, and so that’s not going to change,” Musselman said. “It’ll probably always be that way.
“I think that I need help when we get to the high school [recruiting], and certainly we need help in the portal, but now that our roster’s taken shape, I don’t think that we need to be in a huge hurry, obviously.”
Arkansas has added three players through the transfer portal — Au’Diese Toney, Chris Lykes and Stanley Udume — and has one scholarship available if no other players leave the program.
“We have finals coming up, and we’re not going to have our players do anything on the basketball floor,” Musselman said. “And then obviously they get a little bit of break, and then we come back right around May 24th.”