Arkansas basketball coach Eric Musselman debuting custom shoes for season opener

Arkansas basketball coach Eric Musselman is known for his enthusiasm and being a “players coach.” He’s someone that bonds with his players on a personal level and seems like he would give them the very shirt off his back if they need it.

Whether it’s his unorthodox methods of communication— remember his infamous UPS guy persona from last season?

The Razorback players aren’t the only ones gearing up for the home opener at Bud Walton Arena against Mercer.

See what Arkansas basketball coach Eric Musselman is doing to pay tribute to his team in the season opener

Musselman declared in a recent tweet that he’s “stepping up the shoe game this season.”

His first pair is a theme of all the 2021-22 Razorback players and their jersey numbers painted in the classic Hog colors of red, black and white.

These shoes were a custom job, hand-painted by Twitter user @marlaburleson. So players are represented by their nickname like “Devo,” “Stan,” and “KK.” Others have just their last name or just their first name.

It’s a really cool way to show the college basketball community that he’s all about his players and wants them to be in the spotlight.

A coach with a high profile and very active on social media probably makes the players feel a little tighter and a little closer with their coach.

After all, being on a basketball team is a lot like being a family— there’s only a dozen or so players and a lot of travel, so you get close to all of your teammates and head coach.

Based on Musselman’s tweet, this many be the first of many custom shoes that he wears while on the sidelines for the No. 16 ranked Razorbacks this season.

You can see the Arkansas Razorbacks take on the Mercer Bears Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+.