Regretably, Kevin O'Niell paying for sins of AZ/Lute Olson, and USC/Tim Floyd

[HouWarrior]

I feel badly for former MU head coach Kevin O'Niell--he deserves better---

ESPN summarizes:
"............
Kevin O'Neill just can't seem to avoid running into the NCAA, as he now has the distinction of having been the head coach at the two Pac-10 programs -- USC and Arizona -- currently on probation. The thing is, O'Neill didn't do anything wrong to get those schools in trouble.

While Arizona's violations were committed under Lute Olson's watch, the players deemed ineligible played on the 2007-08 Arizona team that O'Neill led as an interim coach to a 19-15 record and the NCAA tournament. That means the 19 wins Arizona will vacate due to the sanctions announced yesterday will come off of O'Neill's coaching record.

According to the Arizona Daily Star:

O'Neill now officially went 0-14 that season following changes ordered by the NCAA infractions committee that vacated UA's 19 wins and its NCAA tournament loss to West Virginia, according to NCAA statistician Gary Johnson.

O'Neill's 14-year mark now officially drops to 185-207 (.472) from 204-208 (.495).

"I did all that for zero wins?" O'Neill said jokingly. "Wow."

Johnson said, however, that he will place some sort of asterisk next to O'Neill's record indicating that his record reflects vacated games that arose from a penalty he was not involved in.

By "all that," O'Neill can include going through a botched succession plan to take over for Olson at Arizona. For his efforts, he ended up with an asterisk on his record and the opportunity to go to a USC program that self-imposed a postseason ban in the middle of his first season due to NCAA violations involving former player O.J. Mayo.

And no, the loss that O'Neill had as Arizona's head coach playing against USC during the year in question doesn't disappear from his record since the Trojans vacate the win rather than the game being a forfeiture.

And for the salt in the wound? Derrick Williams, Lamont Jones (aka MoMo), and Solomon Hill were supposed to come to USC, but backed off once Tim Floyd resigned. Those players are all now major building blocks at Arizona.

It's a good thing O'Neill has a sense of humor ... OK, so not always when it comes to Arizona............"

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

So the losses still count? It doesn't vacate every game of that year?

[mikem91288]

I've heard some say it was Kevin O'Neill, not TC that really brought MU back to the national stage. I also heard in the years before Coach O'Neill came, there were talks of us dropping down from D-1. Maybe thats a bunch of garbage but I wish KO the best since he brought in some good players for us and won plenty of games.

[77ncaachamps]

I've also heard that he's mellowed out, but man I miss the profanity-laced tirades he'd level on the refs. It was like KO was reading my mind!

Best of luck to him as he's one of a handful of MU coaches to actually make it to the NBA.

[4everwarriors]

Cat would jog past my crib or walk his mutt on occasion. Always was friendly enough to chit chat or shoot the sh!t. Still waiting for the schollie he offered my son as a 5 year old watching him hoop it up on our driveway. Kevin, though, is alright in my book.

[avid1010]

He shot himself in the foot a U of A.

[mu-rara]

I've also heard that he's mellowed out, but man I miss the profanity-laced tirades he'd level on the refs. It was like KO was reading my mind!

Best of luck to him as he's one of a handful of MU coaches to actually make it to the NBA.

And players:   "take the ball to the fu&#in hole you p*ssy"  yelled at Ron Curry during a game against Penny Hardaway and Memphis State

[MUSF]

He shot himself in the foot a U of A.

He shot himself in the foot at a lot of places.  That is sort of Kevin's MO.

[mu-rara]

He shot himself in the foot at a lot of places.  That is sort of Kevin's MO.

Yeah.  Agreed.  I always felt like I was one of the few people sad to see him go in 1994.  Later, I found out why many disliked him, but it was a good run.  We were ready to name a building after him when he beat ND his 1st try.