Musselman on the path to the coaching profession

Is it genetic? Or the environment?

Whether nature, nurture or maybe a melding of both, Monte Vista High senior guard Michael Musselman's desire is to eventually enter the coaching profession.

And why not?

When your father is Arizona State Associate Head Coach Eric and grandfather the late Bill Musselman, who patrolled the sidelines in the NCAA, NBA, ABA, WBA and CBA, the family has its very own coaching tree if not forest.

So planning on being a new branch in this lineage is not altogether unexpected.

"Basketball is basically in my blood I could say," the 5-foot-9 Musselman explained. "It's like I was born with a basketball in my hand."

Combine that with his biggest hoops influences being his father -- "for sure he is #1" -- and his mother -- "my Mom has played a big role" -- and it's not surprising that entering the coaching fraternity is a desire for the son.

It's part of his strategy: "my plan for college is to major in sports management, be a student manager with the basketball team and work my way up from the bottom. I love being part of a team and contributing in any way possible. Some great coaches have worked there way up as student managers, such as Lawrence Frank and Frank Vogel."

His preference is to attend one of the prominent DI schools with a good coaching staff rather than try his hand at playing at a lower level.

Ten years post college, it's "I would love to be a coach. As long as I can remember, coaching has always been a goal of mine and something I would love to make a career of. My father and grandfather are the first father-son head coaches in NBA history so who knows."

Asked for his best basketball skill, Musselman replied in coach-like fashion with, "My vision of the court, always thinking one play ahead."

The changes he's seen in his game since his freshman year occurred with early-on analysis. "I kind of figured out my game fairly quickly, determining my strengths and weaknesses."

Another query about how his friends would describe him brought this answer: "I think they would say I'm not afraid to speak up and tell people when they're in the wrong" which is another trait necessary for any coach expecting to be and being perceived as a commander-in-chief.

Musselman also added this as critical elements in any mentoring relationship: "leadership, players liking to play for you although that's a fine line, and getting players to loosen up in order to perform their best."

But first comes his senior season playing for Coach Nick Jones. The Mustangs are coming off a 20-7, 11-3 2012-13 season, with a handful of seniors expected to lead the charge. It's Musselman, Trevor John, Grant Jackson and Rishi Satoor, with 6-foot-9 Spencer Rush upfront. Plus, 6-foot-2 2015 prospect Stefan Mitu also returns.

"I'm pretty excited. I think our coaching staff has done a great job with our team. We [Monte Vista] had a solid summer, beating Bishop O'Dowd and then De La Salle a couple of times. We have four returning starters."