Lute Olson

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Lute Olson
Title Head coach
College Arizona
Sport Basketball
Team record 589-188 (.758)
Born September 22, 1934 (1934-09-22) (age 73)
Place of birth Flag of the United States Mayville, ND
Career highlights
Overall 781-280 (.736)
Championships
NCAA Division I Tournament Championship (1997)
Pac-10 Tournament Championship (1988, 1989, 1990, 2002)
Pac-10 Regular Season Championship (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005)
Big Ten Regular Season Championship (1979)
Big West Regular Season Championship (1974)
Awards
National Coach of the Year (1988, 1990)
CBS-TV Coach of the Year (1989)
Pac-10 Coach of the Year (1986, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2003)
Big Ten Coach of the Year (1979, 1981)
Playing career
1953–1956 Augsburg
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1956–1957
1957–1961
1962–1963
1963–1964
1964–1969
1969–1973
1973–1974
1974–1983
1983–present		 Mahnomen HS
Two Harbors HS
Western HS (asst.)
Loara HS
Marina HS
Long Beach CC
Long Beach State
Iowa
Arizona
Basketball Hall of Fame, 2002
Medal record
Competitor for Flag of the United States United States
World Championships
Gold 1986 Spain USA

Robert Luther "Lute" Olson (born September 22, 1934 in Mayville, North Dakota) is the men's basketball head coach at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. He is one of the UA's highest-paid employees, though a substantial percentage of his salary is supplemented by private interests (primarily UA alumni organizations). The 2006–07 season marks his 24th season with Arizona and 34th season at the Division I college level. Olson is known for player development, and many of his former players have gone on to impressive careers in the NBA after playing under him.

Olson, born of Norwegian-American parentage, is a graduate of Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Contents

[edit] Head coaching career

Prior to his tenure with the Arizona Wildcats, Olson coached the University of Iowa and Long Beach State basketball teams. In his first and only season at Long Beach State, he led them to an undefeated conference record and a Big West conference championship. He led Iowa to a Final Four appearance in 1980, losing to eventual NCAA champion Louisville in the National Semifinal. After leading the Hawkeyes to the Sweet Sixteen in 1983, Olson surprised many by leaving Iowa for an Arizona program that was one of the worst in the nation. He said he left Iowa because life there had become a "fishbowl" and he needed a change.

Under Olson, Arizona quickly rose to national prominence. Arizona won its first Pac-10 title in 1986, only three years after his arrival. Two years later, Arizona spent much of the season ranked #1 and made their first (and Olson's second) Final Four. Olson's teams have been perennially ranked since then.

Olson has been voted Pac-10 Coach of the Year seven times. He has made 5 Final Four appearances. In Arizona's 1997 appearance, his team went on to win the NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship. During that 1997 March Madness tournament, his team accomplished the unprecedented and unequaled feat of beating three number one seeds in the same tournament. In 2002, Lute Olson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Olson also coached the US national team in the 1986 FIBA World Championship, the last U.S. amateur basketball team to win in international competition. His team defeated the U.S.S.R. 87-85 in the Gold Medal Game, the first time the U.S. had won the World Championship in 32 years. [1]

On November 4th 2007 Lute Olson's public relation firm released a statement saying that he was taking a leave of absence effective immediately, for what he called a personal matter. [2]

[edit] Player development at Arizona

Throughout the nineties and 2000s, Arizona under Olson was of the top producers of NBA talent in terms of number of alumni playing in the league. Many of these players (such as Steve Kerr, Jason Terry, and Gilbert Arenas) were not highly regarded on a national level in high school but flourished under Olson's system to eventually become college stars and productive NBA players.

The basketball program at Arizona has been dubbed "Point Guard U" because of the numerous players who have excelled at that position, including Steve Kerr, Damon Stoudamire, Mike Bibby, and Jason Terry (additionally, point guards Reggie Geary and Matt Othick both played briefly in the NBA and Kenny Lofton went on to become an All-Star centerfielder in Major League Baseball). All-American Jason Gardner (graduated in 2003) has so far been the only starting Arizona point guard to not have played any NBA minutes since before Steve Kerr in 1984.

Despite this reputation, Arizona under Olson has also developed many outstanding shooting guards and swingmen: Sean Elliott, Gilbert Arenas, Jud Buechler, Khalid Reeves, Miles Simon, Michael Dickerson,Chris Mills, Richard Jefferson, Luke Walton, Andre Iguodala, Salim Stoudamire, Michael Wright, Ray Owes and Hassan Adams all excelled with the Wildcats, and many went on to stardom in the NBA.

Fewer Arizona big men have made such a big impact in the NBA, but Olson has coached several notables: forward Tom Tolbert and centers Brian Williams (later renamed Bison Dele), Sean Rooks, Loren Woods, and Channing Frye have also made careers in the NBA.

[edit] Family

Olson married the former Bobbi Russell in 1953. They were married for 47 years and had five children. Bobbi Olson died on January 1, 2001 of ovarian cancer. The basketball court at UA is named the Lute and Bobbi Olson Court in her honor. In 2003 Olson married Christine Jack Toretti, an executive at a Pennsylvania energy company and Republican National Committee member [1].

On March 15, 2005, Olson's granddaughter, Julie Brase, was named an assistant coach of the Phoenix Mercury in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Brase played for the women's basketball team at the University of Arizona as a starting player for four years and had served as an assistant coach at Loyola Marymount University. She also worked as an assistant coach at Lute Olson's basketball camps.

Olson's grandson Matt Brase was a member of the basketball team from 2003-2005 and currently works for the team in a non-coaching capacity. [2]

On December 6, 2007, Olson filed for divorce from his second wife, Christine.[3]

[edit] Leave of Absence

On Sunday, November 4, 2007, Olson was absent from the Wildcats' pre-season opener. It was announced 10 minutes prior to the game that Coach Olson would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team. The school said that the leave was not health related. Olson's assistant head coach, Kevin O'Neill will take over head coaching duties during the leave of absence. [3]

On December 6, 2007, it was announced that Olson would miss the entire 2007-08 season. [4] The following day, it was announced that Olson had filed for divorce from his wife of four years, Christine. [5] On December 18, Arizona announced that Olson planned to return for the 2008-09 season, and also named O'Neill as Olson's designated successor upon his retirement.[4]

[edit] Coaching highlights

  • In 34 seasons as a Division I head coach he has compiled a 781-280 record (.736)
  • Compiled a 180-76 (.703) record coaching high school basketball
  • Led Long Beach City College to California JUCO State Champions (1971)
  • Led Long Beach City College to three Metro Conference titles (1970, 1971, 1973)
  • Named Metro Conference Coach of the Year three times (1970, 1971, 1973)
  • Led Long Beach State to Big West Championship (1974)
  • One of 8 coaches in collegiate history to coach in five or more Final Fours
  • One of 11 coaches who have taken two different teams to the Final Four
  • Led Iowa to NCAA Final Four (1980)
  • Led Iowa to Big Ten Championship (1979)
  • Led Iowa to 5 consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament to finish his career, a record at the time
  • Left Iowa as the winningest coach in school history with a 168-90 record (.651)
  • Led Arizona to 11 Pac-10 championships (1986,'88, '89, '90, '91, '93, '94, '98, '00, '03, '05)
  • Averaged nearly 25 victories per year in over 20 years at Arizona
  • Averaged nearly 23 victories per year in over 30 years of coaching
  • Has led Arizona to 20 consecutive 20-win seasons
  • Compiled 29 winning seasons in over 30 years of coaching
  • Is one of only five head coaches in NCAA history to record 26 or more 20-win seasons
  • Owns second best winning percentage in Pac-10 history (327-101, .764)
  • Has more Pac 10 wins than any other coach in history (327), including John Wooden
  • Led Arizona to four NCAA Final Four appearances (1988, '94, '97, 2001) and one NCAA Championship (1997)
  • Arizona's 23 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances under Lute Olson is the longest current streak in college basketball and is second longest in NCAA history (behind North Carolina's 27)
  • His 74 NCAA tournament games coached is third all-time
  • His 46 NCAA tournament wins are second most among active coaches; fourth all-time
  • His 28 NCAA tournament appearances are tied for most all-time
  • Under Lute Olson, 28 of his last 29 teams have advanced to the NCAA Tournament (23 straight at Arizona and 5 straight at Iowa)
  • Is 25-10 in his last 35 NCAA Tournament games
  • Arizona's 1997 NCAA championship team was the first and only team in NCAA history to beat three No. 1 seeds in the same tournament
  • Guided Arizona to 11 NCAA Sweet 16 appearances in the last 18 years
  • U.S. Coach, R. William Jones Cup Champions (1984)
  • U.S. Coach, World Championship Gold Medal (1986)
  • Coach of the Year Awards: National Coach of the Year (1988, '90), CBS-TV Coach of the Year (1989), Pac-10 Coach of the Year (1986, '88, '89, 93, '94, '98, 2003), NABC District 15 Coach of the Year (1989, '93, '94), USBWA District 8 Coach of the Year (1988, '93), Big Ten Coach of the Year (1979, '81), PCAA Coach of the Year (1974), Western Region Coach of the Year (1974), Basketball Times West Region Coach of the Year (1998), Naismith National Coach of the Year Finalist (1998)

[edit] Head coaching record

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Long Beach State (Big West Conference) (1973 — 1974)
1973–1974 Long Beach State 24-2 12-0 1st
Long Beach State: 24-2 12-0
Iowa (Big Ten Conference) (1974 — 1983)
1974–1975 Iowa 10-16 7-11 7th
1975–1976 Iowa 19-10 9-9 5th
1976–1977 Iowa 20-7 12-6 4th
1977–1978 Iowa 12-15 5-13 8th
1978–1979 Iowa 20-8 13-5 1st NCAA 1st Round
1979–1980 Iowa 23-10 10-8 4th NCAA Final Four
1980–1981 Iowa 21-7 13-5 2nd NCAA 1st Round
1981–1982 Iowa 21-8 12-6 2nd NCAA 2nd Round
1982–1983 Iowa 21-13 8-8 T-2nd NCAA Sweet 16
Iowa: 168-90 91-71
Arizona (Pacific Ten Conference) (1983 — present)
1983–1984 Arizona 11-17 8-10 8th
1984–1985 Arizona 21-10 12-6 T-3rd NCAA 1st Round
1985–1986 Arizona 23-9 14-4 1st NCAA 1st Round
1986–1987 Arizona 18-12 13-5 2nd NCAA 1st Round
1987–1988 Arizona 35-3 17-1 1st NCAA Final Four
1988–1989 Arizona 29-4 17-1 1st NCAA Sweet 16
1989–1990 Arizona 25-7 15-3 T-1st NCAA 2nd Round
1990–1991 Arizona 28-7 14-4 1st NCAA Sweet 16
1991–1992 Arizona 24-7 13-5 3rd NCAA 1st Round
1992–1993 Arizona 24-4 17-1 1st NCAA 1st Round
1993–1994 Arizona 29-6 14-4 1st NCAA Final Four
1994–1995 Arizona 24-7 14-4 2nd NCAA 1st Round
1995–1996 Arizona 27-6 14-4 2nd NCAA Sweet 16
1996–1997 Arizona 25-9 11-7 5th NCAA Champions
1997–1998 Arizona 30-5 17-1 1st NCAA Elite Eight
1998–1999 Arizona 22-7 13-5 2nd NCAA 1st Round
1999–2000 Arizona 27-7 15-3 T-1st NCAA 2nd Round
2000–2001 Arizona 25-6 12-2 2nd NCAA Runner-Up
2001–2002 Arizona 24-10 12-6 T-2nd NCAA Sweet 16
2002–2003 Arizona 28-4 17-1 1st NCAA Elite Eight
2003–2004 Arizona 20-10 11-7 3rd NCAA 1st Round
2004–2005 Arizona 30-7 15-3 1st NCAA Elite Eight
2005–2006 Arizona 20-13 11-7 T-4th NCAA 2nd Round
2006–2007 Arizona 20-11 11-7 T-3rd NCAA 1st Round
Arizona: 589-188 327-101
Total: 781-280

      National Champion         Conference Champion         Conference Tournament Champion

[edit] References

  1. ^ 1986 USA Basketball
  2. ^ Olson takes leave of absence (with video) | www.azstarnet.com ®
  3. ^ BREAKING NEWS: Olson files for divorce | www.azstarnet.com ®
  4. ^ "Arizona makes it official: O'Neill to take over when Olson retires as coach", ESPN.com, 2007-12-18. Retrieved on 2007-12-18. 

[edit] External links


Flag of the United States United States squad - 1986 FIBA World Championship Champions - Gold medal Flag of the United States

4 Amaker | 5 Bogues | 6 Elliott | 7 Gilliam | 8 Hammonds | 9 Kerr | 10 McKey | 11 Robinson | 12 Seikaly | 13 Shaw | 14 C.Smith | 15 K.Smith | Coach: Olson
The University of Arizona
Athletics & traditions

Wildcats • Bear Down • The Pride of Arizona • U of A/ASU Big Game • Arizona Stadium • McKale Center • Lute Olson • Wilbur the Wildcat • "A" Mountain
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Long Beach State 49ers Head Basketball Coaches
Schwarzkopf • Kidd • Patterson • Perry • Sandefur • Tarkanian • Olson • Jones • Winter • Buss • Palmer • Harrington • Greenberg • Morgan • Reynolds • Monson
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Iowa Hawkeyes Head Basketball Coaches
Rule • Bailey • Rule • Griffith • Rule • Griffith • Kent • Bannick • Ashmore • Barry • Williams • Harrison • O'Connor • Williams • Schuerman • Miller • Schultz • Olson • Raveling • Davis • Alford • Lickliter
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Arizona Wildcats Head Basketball Coaches
Cates • McKale • Pierce • Stanley • Davis • Enke • Larson • Snowden • Lindsey • Olson
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Arizona Wildcats Basketball 1996-1997 NCAA Champions
Mike Bibby | A. J. Bramlett | Bennett Davison | Michael Dickerson | Eugene Edgerson | Donnell Harris | Jason Lee | Miles Simon | Jason Terry
Coach Lute Olson
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lute_Olson"
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