Eric Musselman one of the fastest to reach 200-win club
Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman joined the 200-win club after beating Kentucky on the road on Tuesday. The former NBA coach hasn't been in the college game too long, which makes the feat all the more impressive.
It took Musselman just 269 games to reach the 200-win mark, with a winning percentage of 74.3%. That ranks fifth out of over 100 active coaches who have won 200 games in Division I college basketball.
On his way to the accomplishment, Musselman has won 20+ games in every season as a college head coach so far, and he is riding a five-year streak of making the NCAA Tournament between his time at Nevada and Arkansas (the 2020 NCAA Tournament was not played, so I am not counting it as a "miss" here).
Prior to this season, Musselman was averaging 26.1 wins per season over his seven years as a college head coach.
| Coach | Games to 200 | NCAAT Appearances in span | NCAAT record in span | Number of schools in span |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mark Few |
247 |
7 |
9-7 |
1 |
|
Jamie Dixon |
255 |
7 |
10-7 |
1 |
|
Thad Matta |
261 |
6 |
12-6 |
3 |
|
Jim Boeheim |
262 |
6 |
4-5 |
1 |
|
Eric Musselman |
269 |
5 |
8-5 |
2 |
|
Ben Jacobson |
270 |
2 |
2-2 |
1 |
|
John Calipari |
279 |
5 |
11-5 |
1 |
|
Bruce Pearl |
279 |
6 |
7-6 |
2 |
|
Sean Miller |
282 |
5 |
9-5 |
2 |
|
Tom Izzo |
286 |
6 |
19-5 |
1 |
Musselman is in good company, not only in terms of the speed in which he obtained the 200 victories, but the fact that he was also on par with NCAA Tournament appearances and wins on his way to the 200. Of the top 10 listed here, Musselman is arguably the most successful currently, as other coaches on this list have either struggled of late, are rebuilding at a new program, or just haven't had the same level of success as Musselman in recent years.
It's not just the top 10 names that hold the Head Hog in elite company, though. Other names just outside the top ten include Tony Bennett (13th), Bill Self (18th), Rick Pitino (19th), Mick Cronin (31st), Rick Barnes (49th) and more.
There are a ton of coaches who have won 200 games or more currently active, and hundreds more who are no longer active, but at his 26.1 average wins per season, Musselman could push towards being one of the fastest to 300 wins, as well. Who knows, the 58 year-old could coach for another decade-plus if he wanted, with his unmatched energy and passion for the sport.
Musselman has proven he can succeed at a high level, and now that his program is established in Fayetteville, many more victories are in his future. How does his pace to 200 matchup against some notable past coaches?
| Coach | Games to 200 Division One Wins |
|---|---|
|
Roy Williams |
252 |
|
Eric Musselman |
269 |
|
Eddie Sutton |
278 |
|
Dean Smith |
278 |
|
Nolan Richardson |
283 |
|
Mike Krzyzewski |
328 |