Kevin O'Neill hired at USC

[MUEng92]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/11876826

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4274459

[MUfan12]

All things considered, not a bad hire by USC. He's shown he can take a program back, and he knows the Pac 10 fairly well. Only thing I would worry about is when the phone rings from the NBA. He's stated many times his preference coaching in the NBA over the college ranks.

[GGGG]

Ironically, this is the second program where he took over for the coach hired immediately after Rick Majerus.

[ChicosBailBonds]

All things considered, not a bad hire by USC. He's shown he can take a program back, and he knows the Pac 10 fairly well. Only thing I would worry about is when the phone rings from the NBA. He's stated many times his preference coaching in the NBA over the college ranks.

He did so well playing 3rd fiddle at Tennessee I can't wait to see what he does at USC.  He was choice 10+ here locally as no one else would touch the job.  But KO is without a job and USC is deep crap so why not if you're KO.

His 171-180 record is sure to set shockwaves through Southern Cal this morning.


Besides, if he loved the MU coeds as much as he did, he'll love the SC ones.  

[BrewCity83]

Besides, if he loved the MU coeds as much as he did, he'll love the SC ones.  

But will they love him?  He's 15 years older now.

[77ncaachamps]

Nice.

I'm sure coaching for a high-profile program in LA has a lot to do with his decision.

He's probably eyeing the Lakers' coaching position when Jackson retires!

EDIT: I just ran across the headline in my local newspaper.

Forget about him being a head coach at Tennessee, interim coach/long time assistant at Arizona, or even an NBA assistant! LOL!

[4everwarriors]

Hope the contract is worth enough so he won't have to blow his nose with it.

[ChicosBailBonds]

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/9707972/O&


ouch.  What a slam.


No wonder Hayward loves this guy.

[nyg]

He did so well playing 3rd fiddle at Tennessee I can't wait to see what he does at USC.  He was choice 10+ here locally as no one else would touch the job.  But KO is without a job and USC is deep crap so why not if you're KO.

His 171-180 record is sure to set shockwaves through Southern Cal this morning.


Besides, if he loved the MU coeds as much as he did, he'll love the SC ones.  

Agree 100% with his losing record as a head coach.  For a mjor school to hire someone with losing record takes guts.

[CAINMUTINY]

Give the poor guy a break.......I wish KO all the best as he's paid dearly for leaving MU and being cursed ever since.

[79Warrior]

Nice.

I'm sure coaching for a high-profile program in LA has a lot to do with his decision.

He's probably eyeing the Lakers' coaching position when Jackson retires!

EDIT: I just ran across the headline in my local newspaper.

Forget about him being a head coach at Tennessee, interim coach/long time assistant at Arizona, or even an NBA assistant! LOL!

USC is not remotely a "high-profile program". Football, without question. In basketball, the are in the extremely large shadow of the Bruins.

[VegasWarrior77]

USC is not remotely a "high-profile program". Football, without question. In basketball, the are in the extremely large shadow of the Bruins.

+1
What stood out to me in the Arizona Republic article (above) was this:

"He takes over a USC program that won at least 20 games and made the NCAA tournament each of the last three seasons, both school records. But all is not well with the Trojans."

That's a school record?  That does not a high-profile program make!

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/9707972/O&


ouch.  What a slam.


No wonder Hayward loves this guy.

Chicos, seriously, are you slamming O'Neill as a veiled way of propping Crean up? I highly doubt he was banging co-eds in the early 90's (he might have been trying), but who cares? Nobody thought he was an altar boy at MU...but that's what a lot of people liked about him. He was who he was.

He was a fantastic coach at Marquette and was also great at Northwestern. I think it's a pretty good hire by USC.

By the way, his resume is more impressive than Tim Floyd's was...and I liked Tim Floyd!

[GGGG]

Chicos, seriously, are you slamming O'Neill as a veiled way of propping Crean up? I highly doubt he was banging co-eds in the early 90's (he might have been trying), but who cares? Nobody thought he was an altar boy at MU...but that's what a lot of people liked about him. He was who he was.

He was a fantastic coach at Marquette and was also great at Northwestern. I think it's a pretty good hire by USC.

By the way, his resume is more impressive than Tim Floyd's was...and I liked Tim Floyd!

If he can learn from his mistakes, he clearly can recruit and knows his Xs and Os.  I think one of the reasons he failed at Arizona is because those weren't his guys and didn't know his style when he got there.  This is probably his last chance at a decent job though.

[77ncaachamps]

I sit corrected on the "high-profile" remark.

But isn't your program "high-profile" if you're constantly in the news?!?

[The Lens]

If it wasn't for Kevin we'd be looking up at Loyola-Chicago. 

I will always be thankful to him (and TC) for keeping MU on the map.

Go Trojans. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

Chicos, seriously, are you slamming O'Neill as a veiled way of propping Crean up? I highly doubt he was banging co-eds in the early 90's (he might have been trying), but who cares? Nobody thought he was an altar boy at MU...but that's what a lot of people liked about him. He was who he was.

He was a fantastic coach at Marquette and was also great at Northwestern. I think it's a pretty good hire by USC.

By the way, his resume is more impressive than Tim Floyd's was...and I liked Tim Floyd!

You seriously doubt it....well you would be wrong.  Check your inbox

And no, my opinions of KO have nothing to do with Crean.  KO did a good job and helped rebuild the program, but people here have memories that are awfully short.  He had two good seasons and did well in recruiting, but he had a HUGE HUGE HUGE advantage of UW-Madison absolutely sucking balls at the time.  No way in the last 10 years that he gets Key, MacIlvaine and Logterman with how good UW-madison is now.  Just wouldn't happen.

He also had the 2nd worst season of any coach in the last 30 years (besting Dukiet by 1 game).  His major accomplishment was a Sweet 16 which was terrific at that time, but in the process he also crapped on the university every chance he got (causing public embarrassment to the school, the athletic department and the alumni).  His antics off the court were a complete joke, many of them in public which lead to his personal life downfall.  I'm glad he turned MU around but equally glad that he left.  There's a reason the man has bounced from one job to another the last 20 years, and it's not hard to figure out why.

[ChicosBailBonds]

If it wasn't for Kevin we'd be looking up at Loyola-Chicago. 

I will always be thankful to him (and TC) for keeping MU on the map.

Go Trojans. 

On that I agree.  His work ethic helped keep MU relevant at a time when the university just didn't get it.  Did not want to spend the money, update facilities, etc.  But his departure was also good for a number of reasons that I'm not going to get into publicly.  Good luck at SC.

[mviale]

He also had the 2nd worst season of any coach in the last 30 years (besting Dukiet by 1 game).  His major accomplishment was a Sweet 16 which was terrific at that time, but in the process he also crapped on the university every chance he got (causing public embarrassment to the school, the athletic department and the alumni).  His antics off the court were a complete joke, many of them in public which lead to his personal life downfall.  I'm glad he turned MU around but equally glad that he left.  There's a reason the man has bounced from one job to another the last 20 years, and it's not hard to figure out why.

Chicos - whats up with you and KO?  He pulled us out of the gutter.  You don't seem to be upset that crean had a 6-24 season at Indiana.  Those 1st 2 seasons were part of the rebuilding process and ended with MU returning to the sweet 16. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

Chicos - whats up with you and KO?  He pulled us out of the gutter.  You don't seem to be upset that crean had a 6-24 season at Indiana.  Those 1st 2 seasons were part of the rebuilding process and ended with MU returning to the sweet 16. 

Simple, I thank him for what he did on the basketball court.  His actions off the court were an embarrassment for the university in so many ways.  I don't think the most highly visible person representing the university, a Catholic university, should be acting in the ways that he did. 


Why don't you ask Fox Sports what their beef is with KO, it's not like I'm the only one.  There are administrators and alums littered across this country that will tell you the same thing.  His act off the court is not worth the trouble.

As for IU, that was Crean's first year there returning ONE player that averaged 1.6 points per game.  That's what he had returning, plus he was playing in the Big Ten.  KO, in his SECOND year, went 11-18 in that awfully difficult MCC despite having Anglavar, Damon Key, Tervor Powell, Robb Logterman.     Mind you his first year we went 15-14 with Trevor Powell, Anglavar, Tony Smith.

He did a nice job, but memories are awfully short around here in terms of the competition we played, the talent on some of those teams, and state of programs we were competing against (Wisconsin-madison was a joke, Illinois was on probation, etc, etc)....he didn't exactly have that high a mountain to climb and what he did do was get us two NCAA wins in 5 years, a lot of public embarrassment and a quick bolt for another job that wasn't even at an elite basketball school, helping to cement that MU was a stepping stone school.  Sorry, but I commend him for the Sweet 16, not cheating and showing that MU could be relevant again.  Aside from that, the personal flaws he had were a time bomb for the university and I'm glad he left.  There's a reason he's had a gazillion jobs since MU.  A very real reason.

[Lennys Tap]

Simple, I thank him for what he did on the basketball court.  His actions off the court were an embarrassment for the university in so many ways.  I don't think the most highly visible person representing the university, a Catholic university, should be acting in the ways that he did. 


Why don't you ask Fox Sports what their beef is with KO, it's not like I'm the only one.  There are administrators and alums littered across this country that will tell you the same thing.  His act off the court is not worth the trouble.

As for IU, that was Crean's first year there returning ONE player that averaged 1.6 points per game.  That's what he had returning, plus he was playing in the Big Ten.  KO, in his SECOND year, went 11-18 in that awfully difficult MCC despite having Anglavar, Damon Key, Tervor Powell, Robb Logterman.     Mind you his first year we went 15-14 with Trevor Powell, Anglavar, Tony Smith.

He did a nice job, but memories are awfully short around here in terms of the competition we played, the talent on some of those teams, and state of programs we were competing against (Wisconsin-madison was a joke, Illinois was on probation, etc, etc)....he didn't exactly have that high a mountain to climb and what he did do was get us two NCAA wins in 5 years, a lot of public embarrassment and a quick bolt for another job that wasn't even at an elite basketball school, helping to cement that MU was a stepping stone school.  Sorry, but I commend him for the Sweet 16, not cheating and showing that MU could be relevant again.  Aside from that, the personal flaws he had were a time bomb for the university and I'm glad he left.  There's a reason he's had a gazillion jobs since MU.  A very real reason.

So for TC wins, graduation rates and players avoiding the police blotter are all that matters. His "personal flaws" are immaterial when discussing his legacy. But for KO his "personal flaws" are tantamount and define his tenure. Interesting.

[bma725]

So for TC wins, graduation rates and players avoiding the police blotter are all that matters. His "personal flaws" are immaterial when discussing his legacy. But for KO his "personal flaws" are tantamount and define his tenure. Interesting.

Very very large difference between TC's flaws and KO's.

[GGGG]

I'm very appreciative for KO's tenure, but TC took us further against tougher competition.  Both maybe dickheads off the court, but I think it is pretty clear that TC was the better coach while he was at MU.  I have no desire for either one to fail because they both gave it their all when they were here.

[The Lens]

Very very large difference between TC's flaws and KO's.

How?  One guy treated people like crap, thought he was bigger than the school and its traditions.  Another acted like a frat boy and trashed a few hotel rooms.  Seems to me that both are bad but TC's are always written off as CEO behavior.

[Marquette84]

So for TC wins, graduation rates and players avoiding the police blotter are all that matters. His "personal flaws" are immaterial when discussing his legacy. But for KO his "personal flaws" are tantamount and define his tenure. Interesting.

Can you document these personal flaws of Crean's you refer to?  I keep hearing about these numerous "personal flaws" that Crean supposedly has.  Yet nobody ever seems to state what they are.  

Oh, we hear about his tan quite a bit.  And that he was a "self-promoter."  And the rumored altercation with a Louisville fan (as reported by UL fans, but accepted as fact). Let's not leave out and Hayward's trumped up summer camp story (a charge rendered meaningless by the fact that he sent his kids anyway).

Nobody's ever been able to cite anything terribly damaging with any specifics--certainly nothing as damaging to Marquette as O'Neill's departure for a 2nd rate Tennessee program and then the verbal shot he took at MU as he left.