TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona coach Lute Olson hired Kevin
O'Neill on Tuesday to replace Jim Rosborough, the longtime aide who
has rejected an offer to move elsewhere in the athletic department.
The staff shakeup comes after one of the more disappointing
seasons in Olson's 24-year tenure at Arizona. The Wildcats won 12
of their first 13 games and climbed to a No. 7 ranking before
collapsing in Pac-10 play. They lost to Purdue in the first round
of the NCAA tournament.
Many of Arizona's problems stemmed from an inability -- or
refusal -- to play defense. O'Neill stressed defense as the head
coach at Marquette, Tennessee and Northwestern.
"I've always been a guy who thought defenses win championships
and most games," O'Neill said. "I would say that I'm a
defensive-oriented guy."
This is the second time O'Neill has worked for Olson. He also
served as his assistant from 1986-89 at Arizona.
O'Neill dismissed speculation that he has been pegged as the
eventual successor to the 72-year-old Olson, who has said he has no
plans to retire.
"That has never been talked about at all," O'Neill said.
"That's never been talked about with myself or with Lute or with
(athletic director) Jim Livengood. That's not part of the equation
as far as I'm concerned."
Asked about his long-term future, O'Neill smiled and replied,
"I'm not sure I have a long-term future, to be honest with you."
O'Neill has been in the NBA since 2000 as head coach at Toronto
and an assistant with three other clubs. He took last year off, and
said he chose to come to Arizona over head coaching offers from
other schools, which he declined to name.
"The thing that really intrigued me was coming back to
Arizona," O'Neill said. "This was a good opportunity that
happened at the right time."
Because the NCAA allows only three assistants on the bench,
O'Neill's hiring meant someone had to go. Former Wildcat players
Josh Pastner and Miles Simon are Olson's other assistants.
The 50-year-old O'Neill represents a departure from Rosborough.
As Arizona's associate head coach, the 62-year-old Rosborough was
Olson's genial sidekick, often filling in for his boss in media
interviews.
Rosborough served under Olson for 18 years at Arizona and nine
at Iowa, Rosborough's alma mater. Rosborough went 28-56 in three
seasons as head coach at Northern Illinois from 1986-89.
Last season's media guide lauded Rosborough for his dedication
to Olson.
"His expertise and familiarity with the Olson system is one of
the driving forces that sustains the Arizona program as one of the
finest in the country, both on and off the court," the guide said.
When Olson's wife, Bobbi, died in January 2001, Rosborough
served as Arizona's interim coach, leading the team to a 3-1 Pac-10
record in Olson's absence. After the Wildcats reached the national
final that spring, many in the program credited Rosborough with
helping to hold the team together during a difficult period.
Rosborough could not be reached for comment. Last week, he told
the Arizona Daily Star he would not accept Olson's offer of
non-coaching position. "I'm done," Rosborough said. "I'm a
non-person right now."
Rosborough replaced O'Neill on Olson's staff in 1989, when
O'Neill left to become the head coach at Marquette.
O'Neill said he hadn't spoken to Rosborough.
"I have the utmost respect for Jim Rosborough as a coach,"
O'Neill said. "I think he's had a great career coaching
basketball, and he was a big part of this program for a long time.
I think the world of him."