Corridor of Fame basketball coach Lute Olson dies at 85

Corridor of Fame basketball coach Lute Olson, who crafted Arizona into a countrywide power and guided the Wildcats to the school’s only NCAA championship, has died at age 85.

Olson was hospitalized past yr immediately after suffering a stroke, and was lately moved into hospice treatment.

His dying was verified by spouse and children to Arizona media retailers.

Olson went 589-187 in 24 seasons at Arizona and guided the Wildcats to 4 Final 4 appearances, 23 consecutive NCAA tournaments and 11 Pac-10 titles, as perfectly as the countrywide title in 1997.

He was inducted into the Pro Basketball Corridor of Fame in 2002 and the University Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, and a statue of Olson was erected outdoors the McKale Memorial Centre in 2018.

Olson concluded his coaching job with a record of 776-285 in 34 seasons at Arizona, Iowa and Extensive Seashore Point out.

Arizona gained just 4 game titles in 1982-83, the season right before Olson arrived in Tucson, and experienced arrived at the NCAA event two times because 1951.

But the Wildcats turned things all around quickly beneath Olson, achieving the NCAA tournament in his 2nd period at the school and advancing to the school’s to start with Closing Four in 1987-88, when they completed 35-3.

Arizona reached the Closing Four yet again in 1994 ahead of winning its first and only NCAA title in 1997, when freshman Mike Bibby and junior Miles Simon led Olson and the Wildcats past greatly favored Kentucky in the championship video game. That staff remains the only just one given that seeding started in 1979 to defeat three No. 1 seeds en route to successful the title.

The Wildcats also advanced to the nationwide championship match beneath Olson in 2001, when they ended up defeated by Duke.

All round, Olson gained 7 NCAA tournament game titles against No. 1 seeds (7-5 history). The only coach to win far more these types of online games because 1979 is Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, who is 8-7 in individuals video games.

Olson started out his coaching job in 1973-74 at Extended Beach State, exactly where he went 24-2, before remaining hired at Iowa the following time. He coached the Hawkeyes to the NCAA tournament five instances in nine seasons.