The Case Against Kevin O'Neill


Arizona has designated Kevin O'Neill as Lute Olson's successor.

Color me unimpressed. And disappointed, shocked, and flabbergasted. O'Neill is to Arizona as Mike Jarvis is to ESPN: a bad hire.

O'Neill has never taken a team past the Sweet 16 -- but at Arizona, a Sweet 16 is the minimum, not the max. He's also never stayed at a school for more than five seasons -- but will now succeed Olson, a living legend in Tucson thanks to 20-plus years in the desert. Nor has he ever signed the type of elite prospects necessary to keep Arizona as among the nation's premier teams.

At his last collegiate stop, O'Neill tallied a 30-56 (.349) record with Northwestern. In his only year as an NBA head coach, he went 33-49 (.402) with the Raptors.

Has O'Neill helped this year's Wildcats play better defense? Absolutely. But does this fact alone make him a good long-term choice for the 'Cats? Absolutely not.

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