Anthony Ruta

Biography

Anthony Ruta is entering his second season as an assistant coach at USC after being hired by head coach Eric Musselman on May 16, 2024. He brings over a decade of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional levels, including five seasons at Arkansas under Musselman, where he served three seasons as the Razorbacks’ director of basketball operations and later as an assistant coach. During his time at Arkansas, Ruta helped guide the Razorbacks to three consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 appearances, including back-to-back Elite Eight runs in 2021 and 2022. From 2020 to 2023, Arkansas posted an SEC-best 95 wins. His impact extended beyond team success; he was instrumental in the development of numerous standout players, including 2020 SEC Player of the Year Mason Jones, 2021 NBA lottery pick Moses Moody, and 2022 All-American JD Notae. Ruta played a key role in Arkansas’ nationally acclaimed 2022–23 freshman class, which featured three McDonald’s All-Americans: Anthony Black (No. 6 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft), Nick Smith Jr. (No. 27), and Jordan Walsh (No. 38). All three were “one-and-done” selections. In addition to coaching, Ruta was responsible for assembling Arkansas’ competitive schedules, which helped prepare the team for deep postseason runs. With his support, the Razorbacks consistently faced top-tier competition. The 2022–23 schedule ranked No. 2 nationally in overall strength of schedule, No. 3 in nonconference RPI, and No. 4 in nonconference strength of schedule. Bef