Blog

Kevin O’Neill


Kevin O’Neill is our Wednesday and Friday morning sports guy. His segment emphasizes what happens off the field as much as what happens on the field. All businesses have their intrigue, but the inner workings of sports organizations find their way into the public domain frequently. Unless a rant from the Chief spills into Kevin’s segment (not an unusual occurrence), he will highlight some of those sports related business issues; but be advised that those highlights usually come with an opinion.

In real life, Kevin is an IT Manager located in the South Bend area. He is a 1976 Notre Dame graduate with a degree in Finance, and IIT in Chicago was kind enough to reward his studies there with an MBA in Technology Management. He has extensive business experience with 28 years in banking Operations and Technology including senior management leadership positions. He owned and operated a franchise business for several years, and now he manages a tech team for an online retailer.

In addition to his full time work, Kevin periodically covers Notre Dame basketball games for Irish Sports Daily and writes commentary for NDNation.com.

Favorite Sports Moment

Sorry, I can’t pick just one, but I can limit my selections to the 1973-74 academic year. In October, Notre Dame ended a six-year winless streak vs. John McKay and the evil USC Trojans. I have never heard Notre Dame Stadium louder than it was as Eric Penick ran 85 yards to give the Irish a commanding third quarter lead. That football season ended with a 24-23 Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama in a battle of unbeaten teams vying for the national championship. The final memorable moment was Notre Dame’s upset victory over UCLA to end the Bruins’ record 88-game winning streak. I attended all three games. It was a great time to be a sports-loving student at Notre Dame.

One Thing Listeners Might Not Know About You

I saw the Beatles live at Comiskey Park in 1965. I even got to go to the press conference a few hours before the concert. Pretty cool for an 11 year old.

One Trade You’d Like to Have Back

Leaving a great job to start a small business wasn’t a good trade when the economy collapsed in 2008; but in the end, failure pales in comparison to regret for chances never taken.