Lute Olson

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Robert Luther "Lute" Olson (born September 22, 1934 in Mayville, North Dakota) is the current 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 24rd season Arizona and 34th season at the Division 1 college level. Olson is known for his ability to recruit players with enormous talent, many of whom have gone on to impressive careers in the NBA after studying the game under his tutelage.

Contents 1 Player development at Arizona 2 University of Iowa and Long Beach State 3 Family 4 Coaching Highlights 5 Career coaching record 6 External links

[edit] Player development at Arizona

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, Mike Bibby, Gilbert Arenas, Jason Terry, Damon Stoudamire, and current UA assistant coach Miles Simon. Several swingmen from the UA have likewise made successful moves to the pros, including Judd Buechler and Tucson native Sean Elliott. Tom Tolbert, Luke Walton, Richard Jefferson, and Andre Iguodala are also frontcourt members of Olson's Wildcat teams. Centers Bison Dele (formerly Brian Williams), Sean Rooks, Loren Woods, and Channing Frye have also made careers in the NBA. Some other notable guards that have played under Olson are Salim Stoudamire and Khalid Reeves.

[edit] University of Iowa and Long Beach State

Prior to his tenure with the Arizona Wildcats, Olson coached the University of Iowa and Long Beach State basketball teams. 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.

[edit] Family

On March 15, 2005, his 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.

[edit] Coaching Highlights

• In 34 seasons as a Division I head coach he has compiled a 761-269 record (.739)
• 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)
• 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) and left Iowa as the winningest coach in school history (168-90, .651)
• 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 (168-90)
• Led Arizona to ten 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 19 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 (290-84, .775)
• Has more Pac 10 wins than any other coach in history (316), including John Wooden
• Led Arizona to four NCAA Final Four appearances (1988, '94, '97, 2001) and one NCAA Championship (1997)
• Arizona's 22 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances is the longest current streak in college basketball and is second longest in NCAA history (behind North Carolina's 27)
• His 45 NCAA tournament wins are second most among active coaches; fourth all-time
• His 26 tournament appearances are second most among active coaches; third all-time
• Is 25-10 in his last 35 NCAA Tournament appearances
• Arizona's 1997 NCAA championship team was the first and only team in 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] Career coaching record

career record

School	Season	Wins	Losses	Postseason
Arizona	1986-87	18	12	NCAA First Round
Arizona	1987-88	35	3	NCAA Final Four
Arizona	1988-89	29	4	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Arizona	1989-90	25	7	NCAA Second Round
Arizona	1990-91	28	7	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Arizona	1991-92	24	7	NCAA First Round
Arizona	1992-93	24	4	NCAA First Round
Arizona	1993-94	29	6	NCAA Final Four
Arizona	1994-95	24	7	NCAA First Round
Arizona	1995-96	27	6	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Arizona	1996-97	25	9	NCAA Champions
Arizona	1997-98	30	5	NCAA Elite Eight
Arizona	1998-99	22	7	NCAA First Round
Arizona	1999-00	27	7	NCAA Second Round
Arizona	2000-01	25	6	NCAA Championship Game
Arizona	2001-02	24	10	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Arizona	2002-03	28	4	NCAA Elite Eight
Arizona	2003-04	20	10	NCAA First Round
Arizona	2004-05	30	7	NCAA Elite Eight
Arizona	2005-06	20	13	NCAA Second Round
Career	Totals	1044	367

Preceded by Jerry Tarkanian	California State University Long Beach Men's Basketball Head Coach 1972–1974	Succeeded by Dwight Jones
Preceded by Dick Schultz	Iowa Men's Head Basketball Coach 1974–1983	Succeeded by George Raveling
Preceded by Ben Lindsey	Arizona Men's Head Basketball Coach 1983–present	Succeeded by incumbent

[edit] External links

• Lute Olson biography on the University of Arizona Athletics website

http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/olson_lute.htm

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

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