Mark Few.
21 *.
With out you there would be no me Rest peacefully #CoachO #BearDown pic.twitter.com/XUTQwuJqNk— Jason “The Jet” Terry (@jasonterry31) August 28, 2020.
Thank you coach for taking an opportunity on some skinny kid from Chandler, Az. I will never ever forget Coach O, those incredible nights at McKale and all my colleagues. Brian Bahr/Allsport” Lute Olson was so much more than a basketball coach,” University of Arizona president Robert C. Robbins said.
Lute Olson.
20.
Hall of Fame basketball coach Lute Olson, who developed Arizona into a nationwide power and directed the Wildcats to the schools only NCAA championship, has passed away at age 85.
Olson was hospitalized last year after suffering a stroke, and was just recently moved into hospice care.
His death Thursday was validated by family to Arizona media outlets.
Mike Krzyzewski
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Ill constantly feel like you never ever got the credit you deserved as a leader, family guy, grandpa, coach and as a mentor. I enjoy you Coach O ⬇– Richard Jefferson (@Rjeff24) August 28, 2020.
Thank you coach for taking an opportunity on some slim kid from Chandler, Az. I owe my entire basketball profession to you and what you taught me. Im gon na miss you. pic.twitter.com/yRIBVKM137— Channing Frye (@channingfrye) August 28, 2020.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who played under Olson at Arizona from 1983 to 1988, commemorated him in a tweet late Thursday.
” Its difficult to put into words how much Lute Olson suggested to me. He was an amazing coach & & a terrific male. Becoming part of the U of A basketball household changed my life forever. I will never forget Coach O, those awesome nights at McKale and all my teammates. Thank you Coach. I like you!”.
Arizona won just four games in 1982-83, the season prior to Olson got here in Tucson, and had reached the NCAA competition twice considering that 1951.
The Wildcats turned things around rapidly under Olson, reaching the NCAA competition in his second season at the school and advancing to the schools first Final Four in the 1987-88 season, when they completed 35-3.
Arizona reached the Final Four once again in 1994 prior to winning its very first and only NCAA title in 1997, when freshman Mike Bibby and junior Miles Simon led Olson and the Wildcats past heavily favored Kentucky in the national championship. That team stays the just one because seeding began in 1979 to defeat 3 No. 1 seeds en route to winning the title.
The Wildcats also advanced to the championship game video game under Olson in 2001, when they were beat by Duke.
Overall, Olson won seven NCAA tournament video games against No. 1 seeds (7-5 record). The only coach to win more such games considering that 1979 is Dukes Mike Krzyzewski, who is 8-7 in those video games.
Brian Bahr/Allsport” Lute Olson was so much more than a basketball coach,” University of Arizona president Robert C. Robbins said. While Coach will no longer be with us, his existence will be felt for generations to come.”.
Existing Arizona coach Sean Miller said he learned a lot about Olson in talking to his previous gamers and people in the Tucson community.
” He had no weaknesses as a coach,” Miller said. He was more than a coach to all of his players. To this day, there is a connection and nearness in between generations of Arizona gamers that will last permanently.”.
Born on a farm outside Mayville, North Dakota, on Sept. 22, 1934, Olson led his high school group to the 1952 state champion and was a three-sport professional athlete at Augsburg College in Minnesota from 1953 to 1956.
He began his profession as a high school coach in Minnesota and Southern California before ending up being the head coach at Long Beach City College, where he won the state junior college title in 1971.
In 1973-74, he took over at Long Beach State, where he went 24-2, prior to being worked with at Iowa the following season. He coached the Hawkeyes to the NCAA tournament five times in 9 seasons.
Information from The Associated Press was utilized in this report.
Coach
20-Win Seasons
Its rare that a man is a Hall of famer and still under valued. Ill always seem like you never got the credit you was worthy of as a leader, married man, grandfather, coach and as a coach. I like you Coach O ⬇– Richard Jefferson (@Rjeff24) August 28, 2020.
Costs Self.
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* Active streaks.
Olson went 589-187 in 24 seasons at Arizona and guided the Wildcats to 4 Final Four appearances, 23 consecutive NCAA competitions and 11 Pac-10 titles, as well as the nationwide title in 1997.
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, and a statue of Olson was erected outside the McKale Memorial Center in Tucson in 2018. The Wildcats home court inside McKale was called in his honor in 2000, then ended up being “Lute and Bobbi Olson Court” a year later on to honor his late partner.
Lots of former Wildcats gamers required to social media Thursday night to applaud the cherished coach, who finished with a 776-285 record in 34 seasons at Arizona, Iowa and Long Beach State.
Dean Smith
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