According to Andy Katz, USF's new coach will be...

[Guest BasketBull.]

Kevin O'Neill

Birthdate: January 24, 1957 (50 years old)

A native of Chateaugay in upstate New York, O'Neill attended McGill University in Montreal where he received a bachelor's degree in education in 1979. He was a three-year letterman for the Redmen basketball team, leading the squad to a 28-5 mark during his sophomore season. He also received his Master's degree in secondary education from Marycrest College in 1983. O'Neill has one son, Sean (16), and resides in New York City in the offseason with his wife, Chelsea.

Coaching Experience:

Hammond (N.Y.) High School, Head Coach, 1979-83

North Country C.C., Head Coach, 1980-81

Marycrest College, Head Coach, 1982-83

University of Delaware, Assistant Coach, 1983-85

University of Tulsa, Assistant Coach, 1985-86

University of Arizona, Assistant Coach, 1986-89

Marquette University, Head Coach, 1989-94

University of Tennessee, Head Coach, 1994-97

Northwestern University Head Basketball Coach 1997–2000

New York Nicks Assistant Coach: 2000-01

Detroit Pistons: 2001-03

Toronto Raptors Head Coach 2003–2004 (fired: after 33-49 record)

Indian Pacers Assistant Coach 2004-present

NCAA Experience: 20 seasons

Year       School               Record      Pct.   Postseason

1980-81    North Country CC       8-10     .444    ---

1981-82    North Country CC      12-11     .522    Regional Playoffs

1982-83    Marycrest College     18-11     .621    ---

1989-90    Marquette             15-14     .517    NIT

1990-91    Marquette             11-18     .379    ---

1991-92    Marquette             16-13     .552    ---

1992-93    Marquette              20-8     .714    NCAA

1993-94    Marquette*             24-9     .727   NCAA (Great Midwest Conference Champions)

(Record: 86-62 .581 Great Midwest Conference Coach of the Year honours in 1993 and 1994 as his teams led the nation in defensive field goal percentage. His 1994 squad captured the Great Midwest Conference championship and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. )

1994-95    Tennessee             11-16     .407    ---

1995-96    Tennessee             14-15     .482    NIT

1996-97    Tennessee             11-16     .407    ---

(He inherited a Volunteer program that had won only five games the previous campaign and took them to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) two seasons later. )

1997-98    Northwestern          10-17     .370    ---

1998-99    Northwestern          15-14     .517    NIT

1999-00    Northwestern          5-25  (winless in the Big Ten, resigned in September... ) Northwestern Summary

(In just two seasons, O'Neill led the Wildcats to only the third postseason appearance in school history, qualifying for the 1999 NIT. That season, Northwestern ranked third in the NCAA in defensive field goal percentage and sixth in fewest points allowed.)

What they said about O'Neill

"He's great. He was very down to earth, very direct, straight-forward (when he was an assistant at Arizona). He was also very tough, he didn't let guys get away with anything. If you gave a good effort and did your job, he was great. I think he's going to do a fantastic job. He'll get some players and win some games."

Steve Kerr

Chicago Bulls

"Kevin O'Neill went to work on me. Some days I would say to myself, 'Is this man going to bother me again today about academics?' He kept pushing me - on and off the court. He never let up. That's one of the main reasons I am where I am today."

Sean Elliot

San Antonio Spurs

"Kevin O'Neill brings to the picture a guy that's truly got a great track record recruiting. He's a very intense competitor, a guy that competes big-time. A workaholic. He's got a great reputation recruiting."

**** Vitale

ESPN Analyst

"He's a terrific program builder and I think he probably sees a situation there (at Northwestern) that if it can be done in football, why not in basketball."

Billy Packer

CBS Analyst

"He made it a point to tell me he wasn't going to go anywhere he wasn't able to run a first-class program and treat his players first class. At the same time, he expected a first-class effort from his players. I could tell by the attention he gave me as a recruit, he was going to give the same amount of attention to me as a player and make sure I got a degree first and foremost, and that I not only improved as a player, but as a person as well."

Jim McIlvaine

Seattle Supersonics

"If you're not impressed by an eyeball-to-eyeball meeting with Kevin O'Neill, then someone better feel your pulse to see whether you're alive."

Al McGuire

CBS Sports Broadcaster

"Kevin is the most energetic coach I have ever known. He is almost nonstop in terms of recruiting, building a team and doing all he can to represent a program in the best way possible. If anyone can get the job done in a new situation, it's Kevin."

Lute Olson

Head Coach, University of Arizona

"Kevin O'Neill is one of the best recruiters in the business. He is very good at taking players to a higher level. He is building a foundation for success at Northwestern."

Bob Gibbons

Recruiting Analyst

"You're fired!"

Toronto Raptors  

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His coaching style was loud and profane. He paced the sidelines, screaming obscenities, mostly at his own players.

O'Neill was an assistant coach at Arizona from 1986-89, where he earned the reputation as one of the nation's most aggressive recruiters.

He then took the head coaching job at Marquette for the 1989-90 season and helped turn the program around, first with an NIT appearance and, three years later, back-to-back NCAA tournament berths, including a trip to the Sweet 16.

After a short stint at Tennessee, where he landed some of the nation's top prep players, O'Neill tried to turn around a Northwestern program known for dwelling near the bottom of the standings.

CNNSI

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[Held_AccountaBull]

If he can get it done at Northwestern, he can get it done here.

you call going 30-56 at northwestern getting it done?

[JoeB]

Astro, look at his numbers.  He didn't get it done at Northwestern.

[Guest BasketBull.]

Do you Bulls feel better after looking at the bio I put up? I tried to find accurate information, so it's not b.s.

Anyway, If he's committed, this is the guy for us. I like what I read about him.

Q: How much energy does he have left? We will have to let our AD decide that one...

If he is the new coach, I'm all for it! On paper he looks like he's been there and have done that...

GO BULLS!

[sdgukhsdgl]

152 - 165 record in real coaching jobs (marquette, UT, northwestern), was only ever successful at Marquette and I think they werent in a big conference at the time...  this is pretty pathetic hire, hardly excites anyone ... I had even forgotten he was a coach at UT

Anything but Heath at this point is a major dissapointment

[Guest AstroBull]

Whoops, I saw that he got Northwestern to the NIT, but that was when any major confrence was over 500 they made it to the NIT.

[South_Florida_Flip]

Maybe DW is trying to get Heath's price down a tad by throwing O'Neill's name out there...

I can't think of any reason other than price to choose O'Neill over Heath.

I don't think we should be in the game of trying to hardball a guy who has admitted to having interest in the job. Beggars cannot be choosers. While I certainly understand the rationale behind what you said, I think DW can bargain a bit with Heath and not have to bit O'Neill's name into it.

[Joe]

Who is to say Heath is 100% interested in the job? He started to hedge off a little and if he takes another job he ends up losing some of his parting money from Arkansas (900k) I wouldn't be shocked if he sits out a year and lands a job next season somewhere.

[Guest BasketBull.]

Who is to say Heath is 100% interested in the job? He started to hedge off a little and if he takes another job he ends up losing some of his parting money from Arkansas (900k) I wouldn't be shocked if he sits out a year and lands a job next season somewhere.

Very good point.

[USFan]

Heath!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PLEASE...

22 days.  I'm getting sick.