It wasn't exactly a rocket ride to the front office. He spent 11 years as a college assistant. He was also a scout with several NBA teams, including the Jazz, Sixers and Nets. But, he says, there's no clear-cut path to sports management.

"Most of the guys (in management) either played for a team in some form, or coached, or maybe they were in broadcasting or something like that. But it's good to have a godfather."

O'Connor's "godfather" was Larry Brown, who hired him as an assistant coach at UCLA, as well as player personnel director in Philadelphia.

Nine years ago, O'Connor came to Utah.

Before getting into administration, he scouted and served as a rep for a clothing company. Hence, the tailored suits with the hand-sewn buttonholes, the broadcloth shirts with single-needle stitching, the contrasting silk ties and cap-toed soft leather shoes.

What did he learn from his days in the clothing business?

"What I can tell is that all the players' stuff is tailor made," he said. "They pay a lot of money for it. Problem is, they have to. It's very difficult to find something to fit them. You don't get it off the rack."

Not that he'd ever say clothing makes the man. Defense does.

Still, nice threads do provide a good rule of thumb for any aspiring G.M.: It's OK to yell. Just make sure you look good doing it.

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E-mail: rock@desnews.com