USC hires Kevin O'Neil as Mens Basketball Coach

DeToxRox · 06-20-2009, 12:50 PM

USC Trojans hire Kevin O'Neill as men's basketball coach - ESPN

Oof. That is a tough one. At least it'll only be a two year deal then they'll get Jamie Dixon I assume.

Quote:

Kevin O'Neill, whose departure from Arizona made headlines in 2008, returned to college basketball with the announcement he has been hired as USC's men's basketball coach following the resignation of former coach Tim Floyd.

O'Neill has worked at both the college and pro levels, spending the 2009 season as an assistant coach and special assistant to the general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies.

[+] EnlargeKevin O'Neill
Chris Coduto/Icon SMIKevin O'Neill will return to the college sidelines as the head coach of the USC Trojans, the latest stop in his 30-year career.

"We're thrilled to have Kevin O'Neill as our men's basketball coach," USC athletic director Mike Garrett said in a release. "Kevin is the consummate coach. He knows his Xs and Os, he's an excellent recruiter and he is very in tune with the academic side of a player's collegiate experience. His 30 years of experience at the college and professional levels has prepared him well for this opportunity.

"I love his coaching philosophy and principles: he's a no-nonsense coach who is very detail-oriented and prepares his teams well. He stresses defense and I've always believed that defense wins championships."

O'Neill's last stint as a college basketball coach came in 2008, when he was named as the interim coach at Arizona when Lute Olson took a leave of absence. O'Neill had been named as Olson's eventual replacement whenever the Hall of Fame coach retired.

O'Neill's 2008 team went 19-15 in Olson's absence and made the NCAA tournament. When Olson announced he was returning, he said O'Neill would no longer be a member of his coaching staff.

O'Neill was reassigned to the athletic department until leaving the school to join the Grizzlies.

"I'm very excited about this opportunity to coach at such a great institution as USC, with its tremendous athletic and academic tradition," O'Neill said in a statement. "I appreciate Mike Garrett's confidence in me. I will work my hardest to coach us to a championship level every single day. I can't wait to get started."

Previously, O'Neill has served as the head coach at Marquette (1990-94), Tennessee (1995-97) and Northwestern (1998-2000), racking up a 171-180 record in 12 seasons, and also led the Toronto Raptors (2004).

Floyd resigned from USC on June 9 after four seasons with the Trojans following allegations that he gave $1,000 in cash to a man who helped steer former star player O.J. Mayo to the Trojans.

If the NCAA can prove Floyd paid to have Mayo delivered to USC, that would be considered a major violation. The Trojans could be forced to forfeit victories, and they could face recruiting restrictions and lose scholarships.

Since the Trojans' season ended in March, starters DeMar DeRozan, Taj Gibson and Daniel Hackett, along with Marcus Johnson, declared for Thursday's NBA draft, and the Trojans have lost eight recruits.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

yacovfb · 06-20-2009, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Oof. That is a tough one. At least it'll only be a two year deal then they'll get Jamie Dixon I assume.

I sure hope not...especially since Pitt will be back on the upswing in 2 years so I doubt he'd want to leave. I will, however, be rooting for O'Neil to succeed

miami_fan · 06-20-2009, 01:32 PM

Dont know if this is a bad move all things considering. O'Neil is a lifer and, for better or worse, was given consideration for the Arizona job. So he is not THAT horrible. I am not sure who else they would get without knowing what the NCAA is going to do with the program.

bbor · 06-20-2009, 02:09 PM

"and also led the Toronto Raptors (2004)."

That's a bit of a stretch.

MrBug708 · 06-21-2009, 12:59 AM

Dude made the NCAA tournament twice in 11 years. That being said, Doyel has an interesting article on him being named head coach.

I still don't know how Gillespie doesn't get this job?

miami_fan · 06-21-2009, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Dude made the NCAA tournament twice in 11 years. That being said, Doyel has an interesting article on him being named head coach.

I still don't know how Gillespie doesn't get this job?

Party Boy Billy in LA?

rowech · 06-21-2009, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Dude made the NCAA tournament twice in 11 years. That being said, Doyel has an interesting article on him being named head coach.

I still don't know how Gillespie doesn't get this job?

I think his drinking problem has become way too big an issue.

Eaglesfan27 · 06-21-2009, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowech

I think his drinking problem has become way too big an issue.

Yep, I've very glad they took O'Neil over Gillespie.

MrBug708 · 06-21-2009, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Yep, I've very glad they took O'Neil over Gillespie.

Im just trying to figure out what single advantage USC can give players over UCLA now? With Theus or someone else, you can point to style of play. Now with O'Neill, they play the same kind of offense under a coach that is hated more by his players then Howland is

06-20-2009, 01:32 PM	#3
miami_fan Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Land O Lakes FL	Dont know if this is a bad move all things considering. O'Neil is a lifer and, for better or worse, was given consideration for the Arizona job. So he is not THAT horrible. I am not sure who else they would get without knowing what the NCAA is going to do with the program. __________________ "Do not be indifferent in the face of historical lies. Do not be indifferent when you see the past being exploited for the needs of contemporary politics. Do not be indifferent when any minority suffers discrimination. For it's the essence of democracy that the majority wields the power, but at the same time, the rights of the minority must be respected." Marian Turski- former prisoner of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and death camp

06-20-2009, 02:09 PM	#4
bbor Pro Starter Join Date: May 2001 Location: toronto	"and also led the Toronto Raptors (2004)." That's a bit of a stretch. __________________ Pumpy Tudors Now that I've cracked and made that admission, I wonder if I'm only a couple of steps away from wanting to tongue-kiss Jaromir Jagr and give Bobby Clarke a blowjob.

06-21-2009, 12:59 AM	#5
MrBug708 Head Coach Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Whittier	Dude made the NCAA tournament twice in 11 years. That being said, Doyel has an interesting article on him being named head coach. I still don't know how Gillespie doesn't get this job?

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