Eric Musselman to take over Nevada Wolf Pack men’s basketball team

RENO – Two-time NBA head coach Eric Musselman has been selected to coach the Nevada men’s basketball team and a five-year contract will be presented to the Board of Regents for their approval at a meeting on Thursday, athletics director Doug Knuth announced today.

Musselman, 50, returns to Reno after spending the last three years as an assistant coach at a pair power five schools, first at Arizona State and most recently helping the LSU Tigers to the NCAA Tournament this season. He spent the 2010-11 season in Reno, coaching the NBA D-League’s Bighorns and leading them to the only Western Conference title in franchise history.

He has been a head coach with seven professional teams, including two seasons with the Golden State Warriors (2002-04) and one with the Sacramento Kings (2006-07), and has won more than 500 games as a head coach with an overall winning percentage of .625 (566-340).

Musselman is one of just five former NBA head coaches working in NCAA basketball. His father, Bill, was also an NBA head coach and they were the first father-son combination to become head coaches in the NBA. His first head coaching job came at the age of 23 when he was hired by the Rapid City Thrillers of the CBA in 1989. He was the youngest coach in CBA history and the fastest to win 100 games.

A national search led to the identification of Musselman as the final candidate and approval by the state’s Board of Regents on Thursday would close the process and make Musselman the 18th head coach in the history of Wolf Pack basketball. If approved by the regents, a formal announcement and press conference is planned for Thursday.

Basketball season tickets are on sale now and start at just $185 for the entire season. Fans can purchase or reserve seats today by calling (775) 348-PACK, or register online and one of our Wolf Pack Account Representatives will contact you to put you in the best available seats.