USC Trojans head coach Kevin O'Neill has been suspended for the remainder of the Pac-10 Tournament, the university announced Friday. O'Neill had reportedly been involved in an altercation with a longtime Arizona booster in a hotel on Thursday night. O'Neill had previously coached at Arizona.
USC is firmly on the bubble to make the NCAA Tournament; SBNation.com's Chris Dobbertean currently projects the Trojans as one of the last teams left in the dark, though a win over the Pac-10's No. 1 seed Arizona Wildcats on Friday night would boost USC's chances.
In a statement, USC athletic director Pat Haden acknowledged the reported altercation between O'Neill and a booster, but spared the details.
"I have talked to Coach Kevin O'Neill and expressed my disappointment in his involvement in an incident last night in which he and his wife engaged in an argument with a supporter of another school.
"We have met with various parties who have knowledge of the incident. Based on the information we have gathered, I am immediately suspending Coach O'Neill for the balance of the Pac-10 Conference Tournament. We also have set forth additional discipline that will remain private."