Kevin O’Neill Fired by USC, Will the Trojans Go After Josh Pastner or Randy Bennett?
Kevin O’Neill, the hot-headed USC basketball coach, is out of job. Athletic director Pat Haden “removed” O’Neill as coach this morning. The Trojans, a mild disappointment at 7-10 this year, just beat Utah Saturday, but haven’t been that awful this season.
Losses include Illinois, Marquette, San Diego State, New Mexico and Minnesota. All of those are NCAA Tournament teams. No, I can’t explain the defeats against Georgia and Nebraska.
The trend, though, hasn’t been a good one for the Trojans: 6-26 last year (injuries hurt the team), and they won’t be in the NCAA tournament this year. O’Neill walked into the Tim Floyd/OJ Mayo mess and despite getting a talented team to the NCAA tournament in 2009 (DeRozan, Vucevic, Taj Gibson), years following for disappointing. Going the JUCO route this year was a last-ditch effort to save his job. It failed. Toss in Ben Howland’s suddenly-impressive recruiting at UCLA, and you’ve got a perfect time to can O’Neil.
Oh, and should I mention that this is an ideal smokescreen to take the attention away from football coach Lane Kiffin, who many think should be fired?
How good of a job is USC? You’ll probably hear early buzz about Josh Pastner from Memphis (excellent recruiter), Randy Bennett at St. Mary’s, and Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh, a West Coaster. But with Pitt moving to the ACC, why would Dixon leave?
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60 Responses to “Kevin O’Neill Fired by USC, Will the Trojans Go After Josh Pastner or Randy Bennett?”
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January 14th, 2013 at 12:21 PM
Please nobody comment on this so the collective interest in SC hoops will be accurately depicted
January 14th, 2013 at 12:23 PM
Josh Pastner from Memphis (excellent recruiter), Randy Bennett at St. Mary’s
I’m not sure why either one of those guys would make, at best, a lateral move to USC. Pastner is going to be coaching one of the greats when some HOF coach retires.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:24 PM
St. Mary’s to USC is a lateral move?
January 14th, 2013 at 12:25 PM
I’m hearing that USC basketball distracts people from talking about USC football.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:25 PM
Chip Kelly
January 14th, 2013 at 12:26 PM
Dan Monson.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:26 PM
St. Mary’s to USC is a lateral move?
Basketballwise. At best, lateral. He’s got better jobs waiting for him if he wants to jump.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:27 PM
SC is right up there with St. John’s for least success despite copious local talent
January 14th, 2013 at 12:28 PM
Mike Woodson. Once the Hawks fire him
January 14th, 2013 at 12:29 PM
Speaking of JUCO/Bball, I may go watch Kiwi Gardner play tonight. Anybody heard of that dude? His youtube stuff is TBL/dunk worthy.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:30 PM
Never heard of him. Who was the guy that was there when Mayo was getting cash money.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:31 PM
Yes, GREAT kid! He was a Providence guy for a year before moving on. Really hope things work out for him.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:31 PM
St. Mary’s to USC is a lateral move?
SC is right up there with St. John’s for least success despite copious local talent
True, but SC at least has the “We’re sharing this town with one of the biggest college basketball programs ever” excuse. St. John’s? Not so much.
Josh Pastner from Memphis (excellent recruiter), Randy Bennett at St. Mary’s, and Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh, a West Coaster.
Unless they throw ridiculous money at them, all three of those guys will likely say “No” and stay where they are. They can build their resumes in good spots and wait for one of the big jobs to become available.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:32 PM
Tim Floyd. They hired him after he went like 50-997 as an NBA head coach.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:33 PM
not really.
Seems like St. Mary’s gets into the tournament almost every year, which is probably the most important thing for a coach’s resume. USC might have a higher upside but as noted, no one gives a shit about USC basketball and they’ll never have consistent success.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:34 PM
I watched almost every minute of the game the Bulls lost to Miami 82-49, not every day you can see history made on the court
January 14th, 2013 at 12:35 PM
Pac 10 has been atrocious for a while now. If USC gets a good coach, it should be easy to win the conference and make the bid dance.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:36 PM
Lavin has been recruiting like crazy since he got to St. John’s. The Orlando Sanchez/NCAA thing hurt them on the court this year, but that guy has got to be one of the worst coaches in the world in performance:talent ratio. (I hate to use the word “coaching” since I consider recruiting part of coaching)
January 14th, 2013 at 12:36 PM
Yup, he’s playing for Midland College now in what has to be the top JUCO conference in the country.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:36 PM
who’d he kill?
January 14th, 2013 at 12:37 PM
Eh. Recruiting is like the personnel dept of college hoops. We know what you mean by coaching
January 14th, 2013 at 12:37 PM
Actually, that wouldn’t surprise me too much
January 14th, 2013 at 12:39 PM
Muck, raked.
There is still some love in Mempho for Pastner because he’s the tie to the salad days of He Who Shall Not Be Named.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:39 PM
We brought in two five star guards. Kiwi was on the wrong side of the numbers game.
As it turned out, one got injured and one was ineligible.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:40 PM
It’s not. Zero tradition. Zero history of success. Zero care by fanbase.
)
Can’t possibly fathom that he’s consider this move for a second. Doubt his name comes up in any serious way whatsoever.
Possibly, but he’s turned down some big-money opportunities already.
Jamie is a member of the Screen Actors Guild. He starred in various commercials as a child and into his early twenties, including ads for Volvo, Rice Krispies, Mattel and Bud Light.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:42 PM
That would be my prediction.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:43 PM
Yeah, but that was when he didn’t have to cover up that bald spot with a slicked-back ‘do.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:43 PM
i agree, didn’t do great at minny but has done well at the beach, he’s ready to get back into a bcs conference.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:43 PM
Please, please, please let it be Mark Turgeon.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:45 PM
full name is “child actor Jamie Dixon”
January 14th, 2013 at 12:46 PM
Patrick Division
Wanna join a fantasy hockey league?
id is 63885 pw is tbl
January 14th, 2013 at 12:46 PM
Ha. True. BTW…I wasn’t suggesting that being a SAG member would make him want to go to USC…I just thought it was an amusing entry on his Wiki page.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:46 PM
Dixon is so incredibly overqualified for the USC job.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:47 PM
Big Kiwi Gardner fan. He wasn’t eligible at PC last year and I guess he didnt qualify to play after sitting out a year- hence the Juco move.
Apparently he’s planning on going back to PC after Midland.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:47 PM
USC basketball hasn’t been the same since Omar Epps left early to go the NBA. Damn shame when he tore up his knee.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:47 PM
His brother is nasty too, but he’s even smaller. Youtube Peewee Gardner.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:50 PM
I am USC basketball fan and I actually go to the games. There’s literally only 17 of us, plus the players’ families. But the players are so bad, I am sure their families are embarrassed to show up sometimes. That being said, this is GREAT F–KIN’ NEWS. I hated O’Neill. He was flat out an awful coach with a track record of sucking before he came to SC and shockingly, was a sh-tty coach at SC. Anyone will be an upgrade. You can build a solid program at SC, Tim Floyd did it and was run out of town in a misguided attempt to deflect from and save the football team from sanctions. The guy did not give OJ Mayo cash. That was b.s…
January 14th, 2013 at 12:50 PM
I see you took care of it, Jay V. Withdrawn.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:51 PM
You haven’t read my policy on misuse of the word ‘literally’. Please post your email address and I’ll forward you a copy.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:53 PM
of course you are.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:57 PM
Alec- I pity you for going to those games. I think volleyball literally draws better attendance (WWoS approved; maybe not, but it has to be close).
O’neill is a smart X and O guy, but incompetent as a recruiter/program builder. Dude is meant to be an NBA asst
January 14th, 2013 at 12:57 PM
Where did you hear that? I haven’t heard any of that on the PC message boards, though admittedly I don’t frequent them quite as often as I used to.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:04 PM
I’m not really sure the rules for ‘literally’ modifying an idiomatic expression, so I’ll allow it.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:04 PM
Kevin O’Neill has had a lot of jobs.
also, regarding Pastner…SROD can correct me on this, but I was under the impression in my regular readings of the Commercial Appeal that Memphians were souring on him becasue all of this great talent he acquires doesn’t rack up the wins. if Southern Cal came calling, it’s a lateral move with less pressure to win and win big. it wouldn’t shock me in the least if he took the job. I would be surprised though if Southern Cal actually wanted him.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:05 PM
Josh Pastner? What the??
Not only would USC not be a good job to leave for, but he in his own right is a shitty coach and will likely be looking for work in a year or two. He recruits well, because Memphis is loaded with players who don’t like going to real schools, but the dude hasn’t done a thing with it.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:06 PM
How do you know he misused it?
January 14th, 2013 at 1:10 PM
miz, you are correct sir. Some fans are getting frustrated, but they aren’t calling for his head en masse yet. Nobody wants to go back to the Tic Price era. That would be the real fear if/when Pastner leaves – that Memphis basketball would become irrelevant overnight.
Uh, class of ’83 here. And, my Tigers took your Vols in Knoxville a couple of weeks ago.
/draws virtual line in the Internet sand
January 14th, 2013 at 1:16 PM
My Vols are an epic disaster in every sport with seemingly no end in sight. So yes, Memphis is better at basketball than UT. Always have been. That doesn’t negate my statement though.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:18 PM
/pours water on computer
//makes internet mud
January 14th, 2013 at 1:19 PM
It’ll be an honor to take up residence in the basement of TBL FHL. Trying to work out the Yahoo “reactivation” (or whatever that is).
/Oops, I meant “honour.”
January 14th, 2013 at 1:19 PM
At least you’ll always have Michelle Marciniak
January 14th, 2013 at 1:20 PM
lol. Solid reference. Well done.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:21 PM
What a strange last name, ‘Division’. Is it French?
January 14th, 2013 at 1:27 PM
The nice American immigration people changed it from Bateman when we got to Ellis Island in the Great Parisian Boatlift of 1990.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:31 PM
About my school? Why, sir, them’s fightin’ words. Sabres at dawn! En garde!
Tee-hee.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:32 PM
The perfect counterpart to Lane Kiffin would be to bring back Tim Floyd.
/ Double the fun, double the sanctions
January 14th, 2013 at 1:33 PM
You guys had Johnny Jones and you let him go.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:36 PM
Long live Dana Kirk!
January 14th, 2013 at 1:38 PM
Stoops to USC?
/ Somebody had to say it
January 14th, 2013 at 1:43 PM
/hangs head
Never met him, but saw him in passing a lot on campus. Genuinely funny guy, prone to saying outrageous things at inappropriate times. R.I.P., Coach.