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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.
"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."
O'Neill takes charge of a USC program that won at least 20 games and made the NCAA tournament each of the last three seasons, both school records, at a university best known for its powerhouse football program, which is also being investigated by the NCAA.
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.
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.
"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."
O'Neill takes charge of a USC program that won at least 20 games and made the NCAA tournament each of the last three seasons, both school records, at a university best known for its powerhouse football program, which is also being investigated by the NCAA.
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.
