USC Coach Eric Musselman Apologizes for Verbal Altercation with Treasure Hunter

USC men's basketball coach Eric Musselman has apologized for his conduct during a dispute with a treasure hunter over the weekend.

In a statement to The California Post, Musselman expressed regret for his actions. "I know the responsibilities that come with my role, and while I was trying to step in and support my coach, I definitely should have handled this situation better and will learn from this for the future," he said.

The incident occurred Sunday morning in Manhattan Beach, California, while Musselman and members of the Trojans team were taking photos under the pier. According to reports, a detectorist, identified as Gary from the YouTube channel "Gary’s Metal Detecting," walked into the background of the photo session. One of Musselman's staffers reportedly engaged with the treasure hunter, asking him to move.

Musselman then became involved in the exchange, using profanities toward the detectorist. Video of the altercation, obtained by The Post, captured Musselman telling the man to "shut the f—k up" and using other offensive language.

This incident occurred just hours before former USC player Chad Baker-Mazara filed a lawsuit against the university, alleging Musselman had engaged in a "racially-charged" tirade against him after a game on February 28. Baker-Mazara claimed Musselman told him to "shut the f—k up!" and to "go back to the f—king Dominican Republic!" He was removed from the Trojans' roster the following day.

USC released a statement on Monday regarding the lawsuit, stating that the decision to remove Baker-Mazara from the roster was based on "a number of considerations, none having to do with race." The university added that it looked forward to defending itself in court.