FAYETTEVILLE -- With a coach's success comes attention.
Attention from others dangling allegedly more lucrative opportunities with designs on capturing the coach's employment.
The process allowed the University of Arkansas luring basketball coach Eric Musselman away from the University of Nevada.
Now it's the process Arkansas fans fear.
Musselman in today's South Regional semifinal in Indianapolis, Ind. against Oral Roberts University becomes Arkansas' first coaching the Razorbacks to the Sweet Sixteen since Nolan Richardson's 1996 Sweet Sixteen team capped a 4-year run of Sweet Sixteens sandwiching the 1994 national championship and 1995 national runner-up.
The basketball nation takes notice. Musselman's name gets bandied constantly regarding Indiana University's recent coaching vacancy. An Indiana columnist even opined the Hoosiers shouldn't let him leave the Indianapolis NCAA Tournament site without hiring him first.
Oklahoma and Texas now have vacancies.
Lon Kruger retired from OU.
Shaka Smart fled UT for Marquette.
It's a process fomenting a flow of unsolicited advice.
So we'll add to it. Not from this perspective. We're not that pretentious.
This comes from the late Eddie Sutton, Arkansas' 1974-85 coach extending his Naismith Hall of Fame career coaching Kentucky and Oklahoma State.
In the so well done last summer aired by ESPN documentary "Eddie" chronicling both Sutton's coaching greatness and bouts with alcoholism, Eddie confessed "my biggest mistake" was leaving Arkansas.
He left in partially alcohol induced anger at Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles and for the allure of coaching blue-blood Kentucky before retrospectively appreciating what went into the Arkansas program he built.
Successfully embracing the Arkansas job and Arkansas earns a unified single state embrace unmatched anywhere else since Nebraska's formerly nationally dominant football program faded into mediocrity.
Fayetteville can be a great place to live for those appreciating it. It's why Naismith Hall of Fame Arkansas Coach Nolan Richardson, even upon his acrimonious firing in 2002, still lives here, and still supports the program and heartily endorses Musselman.
It's why Mike Anderson, Richardson's 17-years Arkansas assistant and 2021 Big East Coach of the Year coaching St. John's, left a potential Final Four team he had built at Missouri to come home in 2011 and head coach the Hogs.
Had he not been measured against the Arkansas success of his mentor, Anderson, again proving his mettle earning 2021 Big East Coach of Year honors at St. John's, likely still would be at Arkansas. He remains Arkansas appreciated given the reception he received upon returning for the ceremony naming the Nolan Richardson Court at Walton Arena.
Unencumbered by past Arkansas ties, Musselman with his distinct style has carved his own Arkansas identity while definitely identifying with Arkansas.
That's a match bound happily to succeed.
Obviously, as he said he will, Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek must pony up a big raise and incentives in a new contract rewarding Musselman bringing the Razorbacks back to national prominence.
Given that occurs, Musselman still will be beseeched with opportunities.
They may be opportunities that appear for the better, but as Eddie Sutton attested, not necessarily so.