KO fired

[Markedman]

USC Trojans ‏@USC_Athletics
Kevin O'Neill has been removed as the head coach of @USC_Hoops. Bob Cantu will take over in the interim as the coaching search begins. #USC

[Mark Miller]

Odd timing, to say the least.

[MUBasketball]

You don't make this move in mid-January unless you think the kids aren't responding to the coach, or think the team is under-performing and there is still time to make a tournament run.

The first option is certainly a possibility, KO is clearly a combustible personality and has publicly butted heads with players in the past. Concerning option #2? Ummmm, no.

More surprising in all this is that this same school continues to employ Lane Kiffin.

[Markedman]

They just had a nice win against Utah too......odd indeed

[CaribouJim]

I forgot where I read it, but last week there was a blurb on "coaches on the hot seat" and there were 4 or 5 guys I think and one was KO which I thought was kind of surprising. As an aside, I think Kiffin is a tool of biblical proportions.

[DCwarrior]

I think KO needs to go back to the NBA as an assistant. He's a good recruiter and X's and O's guy, but his personality just doesn't seem suited to dealing with college players/parents and school administrators.

[MU/Panther]

More surprising in all this is that this same school continues to employ Lane Kiffin. USC can't get rid of Lane yet, since USC has two more years of the lack of scholarships.

[MUBasketball]

USC can't get rid of Lane yet, since USC has two more years of the lack of scholarships.

What's that got to do with anything?

[TheSultan]

A fair number of SC boosters like him and feel that he was hampered by scholarship restrictions. Haden's hands are a little tied here.

[MUBasketball]

A fair number of SC boosters like him and feel that he was hampered by scholarship restrictions. Haden's hands are a little tied here.

Oh I see. I didn't think anybody liked him, hence my confusion at why anything is standing in the way of them firing him.

[MU/Panther]

What's that got to do with anything? I speak on this the most as I don't like saying it on these boards, but I 'm a USC football diehard since the age of 10.
Many people in the SEC hate Lane Kiffin from his one year at Tennessee. He has keep his mouth shut at USC.

With two years still left what great coach might want to come to USC. Lane Kiffin is bringing in Top 10 classes in with the lack of scholarships. Lane Kiffin did have a great year at USC in 2011 with a finish at #6 in the AP poll. He must win in 2013 or he will be out the door. 7-6 doesn't cut it.


On a side note, I can't wait untill Thanksgiving as I'm going to Anaheim to see Marquette play in the holiday tourney on Nov. 28, 29 & Dec. 1. That Saturday the Nov. 30, I'm going to the UCLA-USC football game.

[pbiflyer]

Um, he certainly did not keep his mouth shut when he first arrived at USC. And many of the USC faithful are calling for his head. They think that the firing of his dad was only half the job.
I know a few folks in SEC land that have first hand accounts of what a douche he truly is.

[CaribouJim]

I speak on this the most as I don't like saying it on these boards, but I 'm a USC football diehard since the age of 10.
Many people in the SEC hate Lane Kiffin from his one year at Tennessee. He has keep his mouth shut at USC.

With two years still left what great coach might want to come to USC. Lane Kiffin is bringing in Top 10 classes in with the lack of scholarships. Lane Kiffin did have a great year at USC in 2011 with a finish at #6 in the AP poll. He must win in 2013 or he will be out the door. 7-6 doesn't cut it.


On a side note, I can't wait untill Thanksgiving as I'm going to Anaheim to see Marquette play in the holiday tourney on Nov. 28, 29 & Dec. 1. That Saturday the Nov. 30, I'm going to the UCLA-USC football game.

How closely is he connected with this lawsuit - saw the ABC report on this and he didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it although it sounds like it happened before he got there.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/risks-college-football-powerful-painkiller/story?id=18114915

[MU/Panther]

Um, he certainly did not keep his mouth shut when he first arrived at USC. And many of the USC faithful are calling for his head. They think that the firing of his dad was only half the job.
I know a few folks in SEC land that have first hand accounts of what a douche he truly is. Many people think many other people are a douche. I don't want to bring other coaches name into this, but you see where Im going.

It wouldn't be the best move to get rid of Lane Kiffin. He had great year in 2011. A very bad year in 2012. Like I said, he better win big in 2013, or he will be out the door.

I wanted his old man gone, but it's funny how fast he got a job with the Dallas Cowboys.

[MUBasketball]

C'mon MU/Panther, you're honestly supportive of Kiffin? In a profession full of liars, cheaters, and dirt bags...he's the worst (which is really saying something).

Yet more proof of his douche-baggery:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/recruit-decommits-usc-lane-kiffin-pulls-scholarship-three-165651928--ncaaf.html

[TheSultan]

The college football (and basketball) coaching world is filled with d-bags. If they win, they put up with it.

[MU/Panther]

C'mon MU/Panther, you're honestly supportive of Kiffin? In a profession full of liars, cheaters, and dirt bags...he's the worst (which is really saying something).

Yet more proof of his douche-baggery:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/recruit-decommits-usc-lane-kiffin-pulls-scholarship-three-165651928--ncaaf.html I'm supportive of Kiffin, because the 2011 season was great! With a win at Notre Dame & a classic win at Oregon. Beatdown of UCLA, plus a heartbreaking 3OT to Stanford, USC finish #6 in the polls to end the season. The program was better than most thought it could be being on probation.

2012 was bad, starting pre-season #1 to finishing 7-6 is bad. I don't disagree that Lane isn't a douche, but he has a hot wife.

[IWB]

Yes, Kiffin's wife is smoking hot. Yes, all accounts suggest he is a tool. There is only one reason I will hope that he does not get fired.

When he was hired at USC they had a crap load of issues and Kiffin himself had a history of issues, so he had to do something to change both his image and USC's image. The first thing he did was hire one of the most ethical coaches in the business, the creator of the "Academic Game Plan" (which is used by hundreds of schools across the country), John Baxter. Baxter was named Associate Head Coach, Kiffin's first hire at USC.

So why do I care? John Baxter was my running back coach at Loras College.

[ge1974]

Perhaps KO was caught deflating basketballs?