Yurachek’s video an attempt to keep coach

So that’s why Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek is doing everything he can to make sure Eric Musselman knows he is wanted as the Razorbacks’ men’s basketball coach.

It is being reported Southern Cal will interview Musselman today for its vacant position.

Most insiders have always felt if a West Coast job came along the West Coast Musselman would take it.

Musselman took the Hogs to two Elite Eights and a Sweet 16 before suffering his first losing season as a college head basketball coach this season and hasn’t openly acted like a guy who may be in need of a realtor.

Reports were he had moved, to the transfer portal.

If the Muss Bus is looking to move, it makes sense why Yurachek — who made the three-man finals for the AD job at Texas A&M but went to Nebraska’s Trev Alberts — posted the years-old video of him and Musselman and the Muss Bus, although it was edited from its original broadcast.

Head coaches don’t like it when their AD is interviewing for other jobs.

On Monday, the 1 Star Recruits Podcast released a teaser on social media of an interview with Yurachek where he explains why he posted the Muss Bus video:

“That was a video that was recorded a few years ago. That video was probably 30 or 40 seconds in length, and we edited that down. I had our communications staff edit that down. As you guys alluded to, Coach Musselman, much to his success, has been rumored for multiple jobs that have been open here in this offseason, and he’s still the basketball coach as I sit here today and record this podcast at the University of Arkansas.

“He has been well taken care of in his past contracts where he’s had a couple of extensions in the past few years at six-figure increases. There’s not a new contract in place for him this year, but that video was just trying to dispel some of the rumors that, ‘Hey, he’s still our basketball coach.’

“Now, this may change tomorrow. You’ll have to ask Coach Musselman that, but we very much want him to be an Arkansas Razorback. We feel like where his contract currently sits, he’s compensated in the top 12 to 15 coaches in the country. He’s earned that compensation and done a great job.

“That video was nothing more than that. The athletic director tried to have a little bit of fun with some fan bases and naysayers saying, ‘Hey, Coach Musselman’s leaving.’ Well, he may be leaving, but right now he’s still here and he’s still our basketball coach and he’s still driving the bus.

“That is my sense of humor coming across. That was not something that was coordinated or a collaborated effort between myself and Coach Musselman. My communications team did a great job cutting and splicing that video together from the previous video we had put out a few years ago. Just kind of reused that as we headed into the Easter weekend.”

In the past, Musselman has usually re-Xed (or whatever it is now that Twitter is X). He hasn’t this time and maybe we now know why, either that or he is so deep in the portal he’s having trouble getting out.

Meanwhile, if Musselman decides to stay at Arkansas, he has one transfer in place and could be looking at a lot more. Five players have already entered the transfer portal and five more used up their eligibility.

The scholarship players who haven’t left are Khalif Battle, Trevon Brazile, Tramon Mark and Baye Fall.

That’s not a bare cupboard, but it’s close enough that if Musselman leaves Yurachek will have to act fast, faster than fast to find a replacement who has a staff who can recruit on an all-out sprint.