Ex-NBA coach Eric Musselman named head coach at UNR

By Scott Sonner, Associated Press

Published Wednesday, March 25, 2015 | 11:50 a.m.

Updated Wednesday, March 25, 2015 | 1:26 p.m.

RENO — Two-time NBA coach Eric Musselman has been named the new head coach at UNR, the school's athletic director said Wednesday.

Musselman, 50, coached the Golden State Warriors from 2002-04 and the Sacramento Kings in 2006-07. He spent the past season as an assistant at LSU.

Athletic director Doug Knuth said in a statement that he intends to present a proposed five-year contract with Musselman to the state Board of Regents during a meeting Thursday in Las Vegas.

If approved, Musselman would succeed David Carter, who was fired earlier this month after his third straight losing season.

Nevada spokesman Chad Hartley said a news conference was planned on the Reno campus Thursday afternoon following the regents meeting.

Musselman has hoped for years to land a head coaching job at the college level as a fresh start from his disappointing NBA stint. Musselman interviewed for the California job last year before the program hired Cuonzo Martin.

He was driving Wednesday from the Bay Area, where his two sons live, to Reno.

Several past and present college and NBA coaches praised the move in statements released by the school Wednesday.

"The university of Nevada has made an incredible hire," Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He is a great leader, communicator and teacher."

Jeff Van Gundy, former NBA coach and current analyst for ESPN, said Musselman is "as competitive of a guy as I've ever coached against.

"He's hungry. He's a brilliant offensive mind and he's going got be a terrific recruiter," he said. "This is a guy who can tell kids exactly what it takes to play in the NBA."

Musselman's career record as a head coach in the NBA is 566-340.

The Kings fired Musselman in April 2007 after a 33-49 season. Musselman was arrested on a drunken-driving charge after Sacramento's first preseason game in October 2006. He immediately issued a public apology, later pleaded no contest to the charge and served a two-game suspension.

Musselman also led the Warriors to two surprisingly successful seasons from 2002-04 as one of the game's most impressive young coaching minds. Golden State fired him after the franchise missed the playoffs for the 10th straight year in his second season at the helm.

After being dismissed by the Warriors, Musselman spent two seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies as an assistant under Mike Fratello.

His first NBA coaching experience came with the Timberwolves under his late father, Bill, in 1990-91. Musselman also worked as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks under Lon Kruger and as an assistant for the Orlando Magic under Chuck Daly and Doc Rivers.

He was also an assistant at Arizona State and was head coach of the Reno Bighorns in the NBA's D-League during the 2010-11 season.

AP Sportswriter Janie McCauley in San Francisco contributed to this report.