
Entering his 15th year at the helm of the Saint Xavier University men's basketball team, Tom O'Malley has put together some impressive seasons. During the 2009-10 season, SXU posted a 23-10 overall record and qualified for the NAIA National Championships for the 10th time in the program's history by winning the 2010 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament. The 2004-05 season may arguably have been the best ever as the Cougars finished an impressive 30-7 overall, had a 10-2 mark in the CCAC and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the 2005 NAIA National Championships.
In 2011, O'Malley was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame for his impressive basketball coaching career that spans over 46 years. Being recognized by his peers for a job well done should be proof enough that O'Malley knows a thing or two about coaching men's basketball. However, his career record at Saint Xavier of 341-138 (.712) should eliminate any remaining doubts. From 1997-2008, O'Malley achieved 11 consecutive 20-win seasons. O'Malley has averaged nearly 25 wins a season over his 14-year collegiate coaching career.
In addition to his impressive career record, O'Malley's Cougars have captured or shared the CCAC crown four of the last 14 seasons. His overall CCAC record is an impressive 117-46 (.718).
O'Malley's teams have also made a habit of gaining bids to the NAIA National Tournament. The Cougars have earned a bid nine of the last 13 years, including the 2009-10 season when SXU fell to eventual national champion Oklahoma Baptist University (Okla.) in first-round action.
O'Malley has an impressive résume when it comes to coaching basketball. He has been named Coach of the Year 25 times in his coaching career. His overall win total now stands at 815 wins, which includes his previous coaching stints at Leo, Reavis and Evergreen Park high schools.
O'Malley is also a member of the CCAC Hall of Fame, Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Hall of Fame, the Leo High School Hall of Fame, the Chicago Catholic League Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Chicago 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame in 2006. He has been a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches for over 30 years.
He graduated from Leo High School and attended Loras College (Iowa) where he earned a degree in economics in 1963. He received his master's degree in education and administration from Loyola (Ill.) and compiled over 60 hours of post-graduate work.
O'Malley has been married for 46 years to his wife, Carol, and has three grown children, Tom, Mike and Carrie. He also has 13 grandchildren: Courtney, Molly, Shea, Ryan, Tara, Brennan, Anne Catherine, Megan Eileen, Matthew, Nolan, Aidan, Brendan and Daniel.
Career Coaching Record |
||||
| Years | School | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - |
Leo High School Reavis High School Evergreen Park High School |
32 | 474-326 | .593 |
| 1997-2011 | Saint Xavier University | 14 | 341-138 | .712 |
| TOTALS | 46 | 815-464 | .637 | |
| # | Name | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown | Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Sean Crary | FR | PG | 6-0 | 170 | Crown Point, Ind. | Crown Point |
| 4 | Ludwig Icevski | SO | PG | 6-1 | 175 | Varberg, Sweden | Neaqua Valley |
| 5 | Nick Hastings | SR | G | 6-1 | 185 | Joliet, Ill. | Joliet Catholic |
| 10 | Mike Beutel | SR | G | 6-0 | 175 | Joliet, Ill. | Joliet Catholic |
| 13 | Roosevelt Green | JR | PG | 5-9 | 175 | Markham, Ill. | Tinley Park |
| 20 | Munir Smith | SO | G | 6-3 | 190 | Hazel Crest, Ill. | Mooseheart |
| 24 | Ed Gilgenbach | SR | PG | 6-3 | 195 | Fond du Lac, Wis. | Fond du Lac |
| 25 | Brad Karp | SO | G | 6-4 | 205 | Valparaiso, Ind. | Valparaiso |
| 30 | Mark Peters | SO | F | 6-6 | 205 | Aurora, Ill. | Marmion Academy |
| 31 | Anthony Grant | JR | PG | 6-1 | 185 | South Holland, Ill. | Prairie State CC/Thornridge |
| 33 | Jack Krieger | FR | G | 6-3 | 180 | Plainfield, Ill. | Plainfield North |
| 34 | Scott Taloff | JR | F | 6-7 | 215 | Bedford Park, Ill. | St. Laurence |
| 40 | Brandon Marren | FR | F | 6-6 | 210 | Tinley Park, Ill. | Andrew |
| 41 | Zach Opheim | SR | F | 6-5 | 235 | Rockford, Ill. | Boylan Catholic |
| 42 | Phil Riggs | SR | F | 6-6 | 195 | Rockford, Ill. | Boylan Catholic |
| 43 | Brian Sherwood | SR | F | 6-7 | 225 | Oak Forest, Ill. | Judson University/Oak Forest |
| 44 | Mike Landstrom | SO | F | 6-8 | 245 | Oak Lawn, Ill. | Marist |
| 45 | Dominique Harvey | JR | F | 6-4 | 210 | Chicago, Ill. | Homewood-Flossmoor |
| 54 | Matthew Kiley | JR | F | 6-9 | 225 | Corunna, Mich. | Saginaw Valley State Univ./Corunna |