Musselman adds Lakers’ assistant as final piece to coaching staff

FAYETTEVILLE — Clay Moser, who has three decades of experience in professional basketball, is Arkansas’ final assistant coach, Eric Musselman announced Saturday.

During several of his stops in the NBA and D-League, Moser and Musselman have been on the same staffs.

“Clay and I have worked together in the NBA, with the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, and in the NBA Development League with the Reno Bighorns and Los Angeles Defenders,” Musselman said. “We also worked together with the Dominican National Team.

“Clay is an incredible ‘X and O’ coach and has been at the forefront of basketball analytics. He loves player development and brings the NBA experience that our players look for and will soak up.”

Moser comes to Arkansas after spending seven-and-a-half years with the Los Angeles Lakers.

First, he was hired as a head advance NBA scout and ended his tenure as assistant coach/director of basketball strategy. While there, his last position was created for him and worked directly with the coaching and analytics staffs to integrate ideas and information between the departments.

“I can’t wait to get to Fayetteville and get started with Coach Muss and the great staff he has assembled,” Moser said. “This will be the sixth place Coach Muss and I have worked together. His worth ethic is infectious, and his personality makes it fun to come to work. With that, positive results typically follow.”

Moser’s affiliation with the Lakers began as associate head coach under Musselman with the D-Fenders, the NBA Developmental League franchise in Los Angeles.

He formerly served on USA Basketball’s Board of Directors and has been an advance scout for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-10), Orlando Magic (2007-08), Sacramento Kings (2006-07) and Golden State Warriors (2002-03).

His other NBA experience includes time as vice president of business development for the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (2005-06), as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs 2005 Summer League Team and as a business consultant for the NBA (2005).

In 2010-11, Moser assisted on Musselman’s staff as associate head coach with the Reno Bighorns, helping lead the team to a Western Conference-best 34-16 record.

Prior to his time with the Bighorns, Moser was tabbed by the Houston Rockets to be head coach of their D-League affiliate in Rio Grande Valley, going 21-29 with the Vipers during the 2008-09 campaign.

In addition to his Reno and Rio Grande Valley D-League experience, Moser has also worked for CBA teams that later would join the D-League; serving as an assistant coach, vice president and general manager with the Sioux Falls Skyforce (1989-94) and as CEO and general manager of the Idaho Stampede (1997-2001).

Moser, a 1987 graduate from Wisconsin-La Crosse, began his coaching career as an assistant at North Carolina State (1987-89).