Former UA interim head basketball coach Kevin O’Neill is headed back to the NBA, potentially freeing the school of his $375,000 salary for the next fiscal year.
O’Neill declined to comment when reached Thursday, after a Memphis Commercial-Appeal report said he would be hired as an assistant under Grizzlies head coach Mark Iavaroni. A source confirmed to the Star that O’Neill and the Grizzlies have agreed to all but a few minor details.
The move has logical reasons: The Grizzlies will be hiring O’Neill for his defensive expertise, having been one of the NBA’s worst defensive teams the past two seasons. In addition, O’Neill has six years of NBA coaching experience and is a friend of Suns GM Steve Kerr, whose team employed Iavaroni as the top assistant coach through the 2006-07 season.
O’Neill has a verbal agreement to receive $375,000 for a second season at UA, although he was moved into a fundraising role last month when he was moved off Lute Olson’s basketball staff.
While that agreement may now be void, O’Neill also has a stated promise from the UA to be a successor to Olson someday that could have legal ramifications.
O’Neill, 51, coached Arizona to a 19-15 record last season during Olson’s season-long leave of absence.
