Musselman surrounds himself with hoops

It has been more than a year since the Kings fired coach Eric Musselman, but in his well-paid basketball exile, he does the things an employed head coach would do – except run a team.

Musselman prepares daily practice plans – one for an NBA team, one for a college team – with lessons, motivational themes and drills. He networks with other coaches and front-office personnel, sending scores of e-mails, and his blog remains up to the minute – middle-of-the-night postings aren't unusual.

"I need something to do," Musselman said. "I can't cook. Wish I could."

His longtime friend, NBA scout Clay Moser, says Musselman can't help himself, likening him to "a Tasmanian devil who will twist himself into the ground out of anxiety if he doesn't have something to do."

But what Musselman wants to do is coach, and the only chance he has had to do that since leaving the Kings was running a high school all-star team June 8 in Newark. If that didn't satisfy his coaching desire, it didn't show. He ran the Bay Area boys team, which defeated a team from the Sacramento area, with the vigor of a preacher addressing his first congregation.

Still, it was an odd venue for a man with his credentials, and it wasn't exactly where Musselman, 43, expected to be at this point of his career, nor where he expects to remain. Despite one unsuccessful year in Sacramento preceded by two unremarkable seasons running the Warriors, Musselman said he thinks he can coach at elite levels.

Some experts agree.

"We'll see Eric again" coaching in the NBA, said an experienced executive with an East Coast NBA team who requested anonymity. "He's young, he's energized, and this league turns coaches over all the time. Fired coaches learn, and the good ones return. He'll return."

Even a Kings player Musselman coached, Ron Artest, offered a modest vote of confidence.

"Musselman knows a lot about the game," Artest said. "He should be back in the league in the next couple of years."

Fired with two years left on a three-year, $7 million deal, Musselman still draws on a severance deal of about $5 million, so working is pretty much optional. But he wants back in, despite how badly his only season in Sacramento fell apart.

"I love the NBA, and it's something I grew up on," said Musselman, whose father was longtime NBA coach Bill Musselman.

He won't, however, discuss what became a long series of dark days after a bright start in Sacramento.

"I guess you can read between the lines," Musselman said. "I glowingly talk about my days at Golden State. I loved my two years there."

But the Kings? Musselman responded with a frown.

Later he said, "I appreciate (Kings co-owners) Joe and Gavin Maloof giving me a chance. My dad coached in the NBA, and he was fired. He never said a negative word. Why? Because someone gave you that job, and (you should) appreciate the opportunities. I'm at peace with things now."

That took awhile, though. Musselman wowed the Kings' hiring committee in June 2006 with his poise, enthusiasm and preparation. Before the regular season, though, he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and eventually paid a fine and was sentenced to community service, some of which he was excused from.

Despite the DUI, the Kings started 8-5. Then they began to unravel. Infighting split the team, and Musselman clashed with players and management. Joe Maloof and Artest's agent, Mark Stevens, described him as "inexperienced."

His exit was virtually guaranteed when the Kings lost 17 of their final 22 games to finish 33-49 and out of the playoffs for the first time in nine years. He was fired April 20, 2007.

"Eric was hurt big-time with what happened with the Kings, but this past year was really good for him," his friend, Moser, said. "It gave him a real peacefulness. I can see it in him."

Musselman said the time away was good for self-evaluation, but he isn't going to completely change. He said he will continue to be demanding, if somewhat more understanding of players and their needs.

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