Men's Basketball
Ruta, Anthony
Anthony Ruta
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- uschoops@usc.edu
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.
Before his tenure at Arkansas, Ruta spent four seasons on staff at Nevada, including two as an assistant coach (2016–18) after initially joining as director of basketball operations. His time in Reno coincided with one of the most successful stretches in program history: the Wolf Pack won at least 24 games in each of his four seasons, captured three Mountain West regular-season titles, and made three NCAA Tournament appearances—including a Sweet 16 run in 2018.
During his time as an assistant coach at Nevada, the team tied a program record with 29 wins in both the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons, earning national rankings and finishing in the top 25 of both the AP and Coaches polls. Ruta also helped develop NBA players Cody and Caleb Martin, who were key contributors during that historic stretch.
Prior to joining Musselman at Nevada, Ruta served as an assistant coach with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League, where he focused on defensive game planning and skill development for guards and wings. He worked with NBA veteran Dahntay Jones and D-League All-Star MVP Andre Emmett.
Ruta began his coaching career at his alma mater, Arizona State University, as a graduate assistant from 2012 to 2014. He assisted with scouting, game preparation, player development—particularly with the guards—and coordinated operations such as scheduling, team travel, recruiting logistics and academic oversight. As an undergraduate at ASU, he served as head student manager for two seasons, working closely with the coaching staff on daily operations and workouts.
Ruta earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Arizona State in 2012 and a Master’s in Higher Education in 2014.
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.
Before his tenure at Arkansas, Ruta spent four seasons on staff at Nevada, including two as an assistant coach (2016–18) after initially joining as director of basketball operations. His time in Reno coincided with one of the most successful stretches in program history: the Wolf Pack won at least 24 games in each of his four seasons, captured three Mountain West regular-season titles, and made three NCAA Tournament appearances—including a Sweet 16 run in 2018.
During his time as an assistant coach at Nevada, the team tied a program record with 29 wins in both the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons, earning national rankings and finishing in the top 25 of both the AP and Coaches polls. Ruta also helped develop NBA players Cody and Caleb Martin, who were key contributors during that historic stretch.
Prior to joining Musselman at Nevada, Ruta served as an assistant coach with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League, where he focused on defensive game planning and skill development for guards and wings. He worked with NBA veteran Dahntay Jones and D-League All-Star MVP Andre Emmett.
Ruta began his coaching career at his alma mater, Arizona State University, as a graduate assistant from 2012 to 2014. He assisted with scouting, game preparation, player development—particularly with the guards—and coordinated operations such as scheduling, team travel, recruiting logistics and academic oversight. As an undergraduate at ASU, he served as head student manager for two seasons, working closely with the coaching staff on daily operations and workouts.
Ruta earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Arizona State in 2012 and a Master’s in Higher Education in 2014.
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