Kevin O'Connor is a former basketball player and coach who had a successful career in the sport. He played college basketball at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, where he was a standout player and earned All-Big Five honors. After college, O'Connor played professionally in Europe for several years before returning to the United States to begin his coaching career.
O'Connor started his coaching career as an assistant coach at the University of Virginia, where he worked under head coach Terry Holland. He then moved on to become an assistant coach at Loyola Marymount University and the University of Creighton before being hired as the head coach at Marist College in 1988.
As head coach at Marist, O'Connor led the team to a 20-10 record in his first season and was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. He continued to have success at Marist, leading the team to two more winning seasons before leaving to become an assistant coach in the NBA.
O'Connor spent several years as an assistant coach in the NBA, working for the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics, and the Utah Jazz. He was known for his ability to develop young players and was instrumental in the development of several future NBA stars, including Paul Pierce and Gordon Hayward.
In 1999, O'Connor was hired as the general manager of the Utah Jazz, a position he held for 13 years. During his tenure as general manager, O'Connor was responsible for building the Jazz into a perennial playoff contender. He drafted several key players, including Deron Williams and Paul Millsap, and made several shrewd trades that helped the team remain competitive.
O'Connor was also known for his ability to find talent in unconventional places. He signed several players who had been overlooked by other teams, including Carlos Boozer and Wesley Matthews, who went on to have successful NBA careers.
In addition to his success as a general manager, O'Connor was also a respected member of the NBA community. He served on several league committees and was known for his integrity and professionalism.
Overall, Kevin O'Connor had a successful career in basketball as both a player and a coach. He was instrumental in the development of several NBA stars and helped build the Utah Jazz into a competitive team during his time as general manager.
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