Honoring Lute Olson, a gamers’ coach and a category act
I used to be so sorry to study of the passing of Corridor of Fame coach Lute Olson, who was one of many classiest guys I’ve met in my 42 years in broadcasting.
He was a winner — a Frank Lloyd Wright-type architect on the College of Arizona. Olson set the stage for that success in Tucson as a junior school coach, then was profitable at Lengthy Seashore State and Iowa, taking the Hawkeyes to the Last 4 in 1980.
Olson had that particular approach of getting guys to play collectively. They have been about workforce, sharing the basketball, defending, performing in a constructive approach. He beloved his gamers, and he had many good ones. Take into consideration Sean Elliott, Steve Kerr, Mike Bibby, Damon Stoudamire, Miles Simon, Tom Tolbert … and the record goes on and on.
I keep in mind having good occasions speaking with him. Olson was the one coach who referred to as me “Dukie V,” saying I gave an excessive amount of like to the Blue Devils. He stated I talked about JJ Redick being a terrific shooter; and I ought to come out and do some Arizona video games and watch Stoudamire, who in keeping with Lute was a good higher shooter! I beloved that Olson had such a perception in his participant, and needed to ensure he bought some credit score. I advised him Duke was in style on TV and I needed to do the video games my bosses assigned me. We laughed about it.
However I keep in mind calling various Arizona video games through the years. I might see Lute and his spouse Bobbi (who handed away tragically of ovarian most cancers in 2001) — they have been a dynamic duo collectively, actually in love, respecting one another. They operated as such a workforce.
Olson constructed Arizona from nowhere and took the Wildcats to the nationwide championship in 1997. Take into consideration that nice run within the match, beating three No. 1 seeds — North Carolina, Kansas after which Kentucky within the championship recreation. They beat a Jayhawks workforce that was probably the greatest to fall in need of reducing down the nets as a champion. Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz, Scot Pollard, Jacque Vaughn, Jerod Haase … wow! Individuals overlook that KU workforce had one loss, in opposition to Missouri, earlier than Arizona despatched them to the sidelines, child.
That Wildcats squad was particular with Bibby, Simon, Jason Terry, Michael Dickerson and Bennett Davidson, amongst others. Josh Pastner, now the pinnacle coach at Georgia Tech, was a walk-on on that squad and has stated he realized a lot from Olson.
Lute knew learn how to get probably the most out of his gamers, which was why that 1997 workforce was in a position to make historical past. Perimeter play was so very important in that title run — Olson understood the strengths of his workforce.
It has been a tricky yr for school basketball, shedding first Eddie Sutton then Lou Henson and now Olson. That is three Last 4 coaches who meant a lot to a number of faculties. Might all of them relaxation in peace.
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