R.I.P. Lute Olson.
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I remember starting to see some physical issues while he was still coaching. It’s been a rough 15 years for Coach O... Looking back I wish he had retired sooner but he was a tough one.
What a legend. He took Iowa to a F4 then built a powerhouse from nothing in Tucson. Turned down the Kentucky job after taking Arizona to their first F4 in 89’ and never looked back. We were so lucky.
What a legend. He took Iowa to a F4 then built a powerhouse from nothing in Tucson. Turned down the Kentucky job after taking Arizona to their first F4 in 89’ and never looked back. We were so lucky.
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And would have won it all even earlier had he not lost Ronnie Lester to injury. And like Steve Kerr, neither one ever came all the way back to the player they were before their injury.
Rest in Peace, Lute, and thank you.
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Chaplin
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RIP Lute. He supplied a lot of good memories back in my college years. I'll never forget the job he did in 1997 to win us the championship.
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Rest in Peace.
Lute Olson was a great coach.
Lute Olson was a great coach.
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He had a lot of close calls for sure. Basketball in AZ with the Suns and UA has a pretty good ride from the late 80’s to the mid-2000’s.
AZ Native
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RIP He could really coach (and recruit).
Ouchie-Z-Clown
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RIP coach
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Arizona Sports Legend.
gave me some of the biggest sports heartbreaks ever with back to back ETSU and Santa Clara tourney upsets, but also the most fun/toughest tourney run for any underdog champion going thru Kanas, UNC and Kentucky all as 1 seeds! And Kansas coming in at 31-1!
I used to be a rabid Cats fan. From Sean Elliot to the Rookie-Monster Bison Dele (can’t remember what his original name is) teams, Khalid Reeves and Mighty Mouse final 4 run. But my love for the Cats faded as he started to. Those teams just got so boring. Lute’s teams were always good and always fun to watch.
RIP Coach.
gave me some of the biggest sports heartbreaks ever with back to back ETSU and Santa Clara tourney upsets, but also the most fun/toughest tourney run for any underdog champion going thru Kanas, UNC and Kentucky all as 1 seeds! And Kansas coming in at 31-1!
I used to be a rabid Cats fan. From Sean Elliot to the Rookie-Monster Bison Dele (can’t remember what his original name is) teams, Khalid Reeves and Mighty Mouse final 4 run. But my love for the Cats faded as he started to. Those teams just got so boring. Lute’s teams were always good and always fun to watch.
RIP Coach.
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Phrazbit
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A titan in the state's sporting history. He and Colangelo are probably the two most influential figures in Arizona sports.
Turned a nothing program into a powerhouse, a 20+ year run of excellence that only a handful of programs can lay claim to. Always carried himself with dignity and class.
Rest in peace Lute... and Bear Down.
Turned a nothing program into a powerhouse, a 20+ year run of excellence that only a handful of programs can lay claim to. Always carried himself with dignity and class.
Rest in peace Lute... and Bear Down.
Western Font
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U of A is up there with the Lakers as one of my oldest sports foes, but even I was cheering for Lute to get that championship in '97. A lot of ASU fans and fans of other programs around the country really envied having a coach like Lute.
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Stoudamire
Reeves
Mills (P10 POY)
Owes
Stokes
Probably Lute’s most complete lineup. The Fab Five was the #1 seed in the west and everyone expected an Elite showdown. Then Santa Clara happened.
Heartbroken. That is all.
Raindog
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I have hated U of A sports with a passion for many years, but I cannot deny Lute was an excellent basketball coach. RIP.
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I found this picture that includes Steve Kerr and Sean Elliott with Lute Olson.
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my god... stoudemire and reeves shot a combined 2-16 in that game. Brutal.
Ouchie-Z-Clown
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That Elliot team is what sparked my interest in college hoops forever.
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I feel like I lost a family member. Lute will go down as one of the all-time great coaches. What he accomplished is amazing. Read where UofA players who played for him have made more than a billion dollars combined. When I was a student at the UofA, they had opened practices. I used to go and watch. Lute was such a great teacher. He did it the right way. He is now with Bobbi again. RIP Lute.
Did so much for Tucson and the program is where it is at now because of him. RIP.
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Okay, I know Rachel is young but I wish she'd done enough prep work to know that Miles Simon was on the Arizona team, not Kentucky. She messed up on another player too but other than that, it was a nice piece on Lute. Although I might have mentioned Bobbi along with his success at Long Beach and the fact he was a multi-sport star in high school and college.
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I was a student at the U of A when the first great team rose to prominence in 1987-1988. For a team that had been awful in the previous years and only had risen to the point of a first round knockout the year before, the thrill was undeniable on campus. It was like winning the lottery. Rising through the ranks and finally finishing the regular season that year and by week 5 the team was the #1 ranked team in the country. Olson was pure class, the team was a team of people and characters you could absolutely root for. Good people, especially Kerr with his recent horror of his father's murder. Battling through the entire season and losing only twice. They pounded their first tournament opponent by 40 or 50 points.
Even the backups on that team ended up being long term pro ballplayers. Jud Buechler and Kenny Lofton.
Elliott helped turn the Spurs in to a powerhouse, Kerr won a handful of championships. Tolbert and Anthony Cook had pro careers. Rooks came along the next season. The success, the class, and the upward momentum helped the program recruit so well for the next ten years. Final Fours became almost expected. What a thrill ride it was, and it was thanks to the pure skill and class of Lute Olson.
Even the backups on that team ended up being long term pro ballplayers. Jud Buechler and Kenny Lofton.
Elliott helped turn the Spurs in to a powerhouse, Kerr won a handful of championships. Tolbert and Anthony Cook had pro careers. Rooks came along the next season. The success, the class, and the upward momentum helped the program recruit so well for the next ten years. Final Fours became almost expected. What a thrill ride it was, and it was thanks to the pure skill and class of Lute Olson.
