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SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Eric Musselman has spent most of his life methodically preparing for this job, yet he still has the enthusiasm and energy of a kid.
That's exactly how owners Joe and Gavin Maloof see themselves, and that's one big reason why they hired Musselman to coach the Sacramento Kings.
Rocky Widner/Getty Images
Eric Musselman (center) impressed Gavin and Joe Maloof with his passion for the game. The Maloof brothers introduced Musselman on Saturday as the 20th coach in franchise history but the first they've hired since buying the team. After interviewing just three serious candidates, the Maloofs chose the 41-year-old coach for his second NBA head job following two seasons with Golden State from 2002-04.
"I hope it will be a relationship between coach and owner that you don't see much in the league," Musselman said at Arco Arena. "After meeting Joe and Gavin, I wanted to work for them really bad. I can't imagine a whole lot better situation for a coach than this."
After deciding to replace Rick Adelman this summer, the brothers went looking for a coach with a defensive background and an outgoing personality -- and with nearly everything Musselman said in their two lengthy interviews, the coach fit their vision.
The entire Maloof family felt a kinship with Musselman -- particularly the four brothers who extended their father's business empire when George Maloof died. Musselman is the son of Bill Musselman, the late NBA coach who raised his family with game film on the television instead of cartoons in the mornings.
"That was like our family," Joe Maloof said. "We talked all business at the table. His father died at a young age, just like our father. We were young guys when we took over our dad's business. We believe in youth. We believe young guys can get things done."
Musselman was a minor league head coach at 23, and became one of the most successful coaches in Continental Basketball Association history before a lengthy career as an NBA assistant with four teams, most recently Memphis. He also had a largely successful two-year stop in Golden State, where he went 75-89 but breathed life into a miserable franchise.
Musselman is known for his intensity and attention to detail, and he wowed the Maloofs with several lengthy reports on everything he knew about the Kings and everything he would do if he got the job. The Maloofs were unhappy with Adelman partly because of Sacramento's years of subpar defense, and Musselman believes he's the man to fix it.
"I think my dad was one of the best defensive coaches ever, so that's reflected in me," Musselman said. "And I've spent the last 1½ years working for [Mike Fratello], one of the best defensive coaches ever, so I'm going to steal some of his stuff."
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Kings Choose 'Basketball-a-holic' |
 The Maloofs, as they weighed this gamble, backed away from the boldest possible choice and gravitated to the passion and preparation of Eric Musselman. They loved talking hoops with Muss and that clinched it, after deciding that Rick Adelman -- despite eight trips to the playoffs in eight seasons -- was too aloof and played out to bring back.
To read more of Marc Stein's analysis, click here. | The Maloofs and Geoff Petrie, their president of basketball operations, whittled down a list of 25 candidates to a handful before doing extensive research on the finalists. Petrie had two lengthy conversations with Jerry West, the Grizzlies' president.
"You're looking at knowledge, personality and then some comparative level of past success," Petrie said. "He's a basketball guy, and he's well-prepared."
Publicly, Musselman isn't bitter about the deal he got in Golden State, where he was dismissed by incoming boss Chris Mullin despite two surprisingly successful seasons. He remains close to several players from his time in Oakland, including Washington guard Gilbert Arenas and Dallas center Erick Dampier.
And Musselman understands the importance of meeting members of the community in Sacramento, a one-team town that's remarkably passionate about the Kings.
While Adelman rarely made public appearances and seemed constantly suspicious of the media, Musselman vowed to be open and available to his new city -- and he attended a team rally at a nearby mall a few hours after signing his contract with the Kings.
"When you come in here as an opponent, you know the passion of the fans is second to none," Musselman said. "I look forward to being a part of it from the other side now. ... To me, it's a perfect situation, because your second opportunity [to be a head coach], you've got to seize it. You only get so many."
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