More on KO from McIlvaine's blog:
http://www.espnmilwaukee.com/includes/news_items/news_items_more.php?section_id=20&id=1372For the past several months, I've been trying to keep tabs on the rumors circulating around my former college coach, Kevin O'Neill. He called me earlier in the year, when we were organizing the 90th reunion for the Marquette basketball program and we had a great conversation. It sounded like he was on a treadmill when we talked, which wouldn't surprise me, since I've never known him to be someone who sits still for very long.
We hadn't spoken since I was in the NBA, but we caught up quickly and discussed lots of different things both on and off the court. Our phone call was preceeded by a letter, in which I told him that I hoped he would consider a return to the college game for his next stop on the coaching highway. I explained that since I had gotten involved in the college game again and started watching a lot of games, I've noticed there are quite a few teams that don't play with any degree of toughness. I told him I thought he could do pretty well and really help some kids, if he found the right situation. He told me in our conversation that he had a few different options under consideration and some of them seemed to involve the college game.
It's starting to look like he might have found the right situation at the University of Arizona, where he first put himself on the basketball map. If he does end up there, I certainly wish him and the program all the best. I've always felt a certain kinship to Arizona, because of Kevin's history there. Former Arizona players in the NBA always treated me very well, especially as a younger player in a league full of men. Guys like Sean Rooks, Sean Elliot, Jud Buchler and Bison Dele (Brian Williams) always seemed to go out of their way to say hello and see how I was handling the transition, while swapping a few KO stories in the process.
Coach O'Neill also helped me form a life-long friendship with another one of his former players, Evan Eschmeyer. I first met Esch during the lockout season, when I went down to visit KO at Northwestern. Evan and I hit it off immediately and have been good friends ever since. In fact, John Nash drafted Evan when I was in New Jersey and I insisted Evan live in my home during his rookie season. Evan has since moved out on his own and married a wonderful woman who just gave birth to twins. Evan isn't able to help much with the late-night feedings right now, as he is in the midst of Northwestern's MBA/JD program, but we still keep in touch.
My entire relationship with Coach O'Neill hasn't been rosey, but I don't think a player really reaches his full potential if he isn't pushed by his coach...sometimes to the very brink. There were more than a few days where I wanted to transfer from Marquette and I'm sure every other player he coached felt the same way...some even did. The door to our locker room had the following saying painted on it- "Those Who Remain Will Be Champions." I thought that was just one of those hokey motivational slogans coaches like to toss around, but I'll be darned if we didn't end up winning the conference championship in my senior season. When we walked onto the court in Knoxville to face Duke in the Sweet 16, after just upsetting Kentucky, the significance of what we had accomplished in four short years was not lost on anyone.
Coach O'Neill's leadership brought a once-proud program back to a level of national prominence and he left it full of talented players who were also good people. He then went to Tennessee, where he loaded up a program with enough talent to rattle off four consecutive 20-win seasons after his departure. I got to know Steve Hamer when Kevin was there and we shared our stories of survival, which I think is helpful when you're in the midst of the storm or just emerging and wondering if your experience is unique.
Make no mistake, playing for Kevin O'Neill can feel just like you're in the middle of a tornado, but when that passes, you are left with a feeling that you have survived the most challenging period of your life. Everything that you face from that day forward will be easier because of that experience and you are thankful that you have it. People on the outside, looking in will focus on his frequent use of profanity or his brutally honest commentary. As one of his players, I really didn't notice the profanity after a while and I always appreciated his willingness to shoot straight with people.
Evan and I have had extensive discussions, trying to determine who had it rougher as a player under Kevin. I could point to the fact that he was still finding his way as a head coach during my early years, which were also some of our worst from an on-court performance standpoint. However, Evan could point to the frustration of playing in a program that had no history of success and academic standards and demands that either eliminated or intimidated many of the top high school players. Regardless of who had it tougher, we both agreed we have it much better now and we owe at least some of our success to our time spent with KO.
From what I have been able to gather, Coach Olson is looking to improve his team's defense, which allowed opponents to shoot 45.8% from the floor last season and 35.9% from 3-pt range. Defense was always Kevin's calling card at Marquette, where we led the nation in field-goal percentage defense in my final two years. Granted, I blocked a bunch of shots and that helped, but our sucess in that area was dependant on everyone buying into Kevin's defensive concepts. In his final season at Marquette, our team had the lowest field-goal percentage defense since the NCAA started tracking that category in 1977- 35.8%.
If Coach O'Neill does go to Arizona, I'm sure many fans will start to speculate about his future there and whether he will succeed Coach Olson. I've always thought Arizona would be the one college job he might actually make a career out of, but I wouldn't spend too much time speculating about that at this point. The Kevin O'Neill college fans could see will be older, wiser and as an assistant coach, most likely quieter. If that happens, don't mistake his altered profile for a kinder, gentler O'Neill. He still only knows one way to coach- his way.
