Photos: Arizona Wildcats basketball coach Lute Olson
Lute Olson was head basketball coach at the University of Arizona from 1983-2008. He was voted Pac-10 Coach of the Year seven times, made five Final Four appearances and won the 1997 NCAA championship.
In 2002, Olson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Olson died on Thursday, August 27, 2020.
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UA basketball head coach Lute Olson and player Sean Elliott during their game against USC in 1989.
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Lute Olson playing guard in football in 1955.
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Lute Olson as a junior in high school in 1951.
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Lute Olson (right) with friend Wes Bodin as they appeared in the Augsburg College school paper on Friday, November 21, 1952, Lute's freshman year at the Minneapolis school where he majored in History.
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Rookie coach: Lute Olson knew his X's and O's in his first job at Mahnomen High in 1956-57, and, as a yearbook photo suggests, won over players and bosses with his personality.
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Lute Olson, head coach Marina HS, Huntington Beach, Calif. 1967-68.
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Lute Olson as head coach of his 1970-71 Long Beach Community College basketball team.
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Iowa head coach Lute Olson, center, and his assistant coaches leap off the bench in disbelief after the referees failed to call traveling against Villanova during Friday night's NCAA Midwest Regional semifinal game in Kansas City, Mo., on March 25, 1983.
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Lute Olson talks with wife Bobbi before a press conference in which he will formally become the new head coach of men's basketball at the U of A in 1983.
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When Olson joined the UA in 1983, he brought with him a commanding presence. "When he walks over to his office with you," one player said, "you feel like you're with the president."
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Lute Olson talks to his players during practice at McKale Center in 1983.
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Fans of coach Lute Olson in McKale Center in 1984.
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Lute Olson (center) coaching his 1984 squad.
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University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson during a press conference in 1985.
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At the opening gala for Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, on April 27, 1985, Mrs. Bobbi Olson talks with Willard Scott as her husband and University of Arizona basketball coach, Lute Olson, looks on.
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University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson gathers his players together during a time out against Alabama on March 15, 1985.
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Arizona coach Lute Olson coaching at his youth basketball camp in 1985.
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Arizona coach Lute Olson at a charity bike event in 1987 with assistant Kevin O'Neill, far left, and player Harvey Mason, far right.
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Arizona State head coach Bill Frieder, left, and University of Arizona head coach Lute Olson appeared in several funny commercials for Valley National Bank in the mid-1980s.
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Recovering from knee surgery, Steve Kerr gets a visit from University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson and teammate Sean Elliott at the St. Mary's pediatric ward on July 22, 1986 in Tucson. Margo Brennan, who would become his future wife, sits by Kerr's side. Olson awarded Kerr, who was on the USA Basketball team, with the Gold medal from the FIBA World Championship game in Spain where he was injured. Because of the injury Kerr missed the entire 1986-87 season. Photo by Charlie Leight / Arizona Daily Star
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Arizona head coach Lute Olson donned a cowboy hat for the Tucson Rodeo in 1988.
Arizona vs. Oklahoma / 1988 NCAA Final Four
Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson during open practice prior to the NCAA Final Four semi-final against Oklahoma on April 2, 1988, in Kansas City, Mo.
Arizona vs. Oklahoma / 1988 NCAA Final Four
Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson eschews autograph seekers prior to the NCAA Final Four semi-final against Oklahoma on April 2, 1988, in Kansas City, Mo. Olson was 0-3 in the NCAA Tournament in his first four seasons with the Wildcats before the magical 1987-88 run, when UA advanced to its first Final Four.
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Coach Lute Olson is beaming while listening to star player Sean Elliott at a rally and parade for the 1988 UA men's basketball team, which made the Final Four.
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Coach Lute Olson with player Steve Kerr, now the coach of the Golden State Warriors, at a rally and parade for the men's basketball team at University of Arizona stadium in Tucson after the 1988 NCAA Final Four.
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Arizona Coach Lute Olson in his office in Sept. 1988, with the Pac-10 Trophy (foreground). The team made it into the 1988 NCAA Final Four earlier in the year.
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A tense Lute Olson watches from the bench during a game in 1989.
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Arizona head coach Lute Olson reacts to an official's call at McKale in January, 1989.
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Arizona coach Lute Olson, left, during a tense moment versus Washington State during the Pac-10 Tournament at the Forum in Los Angeles in 1989.
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Coach Dale Brown of Louisiana State University, chatting with University of Arizona head coach Lute Olson during a basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, on Dec. 7, 1991.
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Arizona State coach Bill Frieder chats with friend Lute Olson, head coach of the University of Arizona, in 1991.
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Former University of Arizona basketball player Kenny Lofton, left, greets coach Lute Olson at a Cleveland Indians baseball spring training game at Hi Corbett Field on March 31, 1992.
1994 Arizona Wildcats Final Four basketball team
Arizona coach Lute Olson and star point guard Damon Stoudamire embrace during the 1994 NCAA Final Four in Charlotte, N.C.
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Arizona head coach Lute Olson smiles in front of cheering fans at Arizona Stadium on April 5, 1994, after returning from the Final Four in Charlotte, NC.
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Matt Brase, then in the seventh grade, celebrates Christmas 1994 with Lute Olson, his grandfather.
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Michael Dickerson and Lute share a moment near the end of the game against North Carolina in the Final Four in 1997.
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Lute Olson and the Wildcats celebrate during the end of the second half of their NCAA Final Four Championship game against Kentucky in Indianapolis in 1997.
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Arizona coach Lute Olson holds up the net for the fans after Arizona beat Kentucky 84-79 in overtime to win the national championship Monday, March 31, 1997, at the NCAA Final Four tournament in Indianapolis.
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UA head coach Lute Olson hold the Divsion I NCAA Championship trophy with his team from left; Jason Lee, Miles Simon, Jason Terry, Lute, Justin Wessel, and Bennett Davison after they defeated Kentucky in the 1997 Final Four in Indianapolis.
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Lute Olson and wife, Bobbi Olson wave to fans after the Wildcats won the NCAA National Championship in Indianapolis in 1997.
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"You could make a fortune!" Jay Leno told Lute Olson during "The Tonight Show", handing him a can of 'Lute Spray." Just say "One spray, and you too can be a wildcat." Olson appeared on the show on April 2, 1997, after the team won the NCAA National Championship.
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Sakura chef Steve Yim and Wildcat guard Jason Terry watch as UA coach Lute Olson adds egg to fried rice during the Lute Olson Celebrity Chefs benefit in Nov. 1997.
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In this 1998 photo, Cheryl Bell, Steve Tobias, Patrick Coco, Tom Alexander and Brian Ralston are all sporting the new" Lute lids" a rubbery white hair piece that is suppose to make you look like Lute Olson.
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Arizona coach Lute Olson, left, his wife Bobbi, former athletic director Cedric Dempsey, AD Jim Livengood and university president Peter Likens during a ceremony at a game at McKale Center on Feb. 26, 2000.
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UA's head basketball coach Lute Olson and his wife Bobbi share a moment before unveiling the new floor to McKale Center in a post game ceremony in 2000.
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UA basketball head coach Lute Olson (right) has five talented freshmen for the 2001 season, including Channing Frye, Isaiah Fox, Dennis Latimore, Salim Stoudamire and Will Bynum. Photo by David Sanders.
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University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson waves to the crowd as he is introduced during the midnight madness practice game at the McKale Center on Oct. 12. 2001.
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UA head coach Lute Olson with legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden get ready to present the Wildcats with the Wooden Classic trophy after UA defeated Purdue in 2001.
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Lute Olson checks on Loren Woods after Woods hurt his ankle during practice in the Alamodome in San Antonio,Texas, during the NCAA Tournament in 2001.
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Former University of Arizona stars Steve Kerr (left) and Sean Elliott greet UA coach Lute Olson in March, 2001.
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Lute Olson reacts during the first half of UA vs. Duke NCAA Championship in Minneapolis, MN, April 2, 2001.
A look back at UA Commencement ceremonies
University of Arizona head basketball coach Lute Olson, who gave the commencement speech to UA's 124th graduating class May 12, 2001, laughs as he recalls how preparing for this speech was harder than preparing for Illinois, Michigan State, and Duke, all teams that UA had to play against in the this year's Final Four.
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Members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Class of 2002, pose with their Hall of Fame jerseys, from left, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, coaches Lute Olson and Kay Yow, Biserka Petrovic (the mother of the late Drazen Petrovic), coach Larry Brown and Tex Harrison (representing the Harlem Globetrotters) on Wednesday, June 5, 2002, in Los Angeles.
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Friends and fans in the foreground wait for a memorial service for Lute Olson's wife, Bobbi, at McKale Center in 2001. Bobbi died after a long battle with cancer.
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University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson reacts to a foul called by referee on Channing Frye during the NCAA Tournament on March 22, 2002
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University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson signs autographs at Myers Ganoung Elementary school on May 7, 2002.
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Lute Olson talks with Channing Frye during a game against sixth-ranked Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse in 2003.
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UA coach Lute Olson and his assistants rally the Wildcats in their game against Gonzaga during the 2003 NCAA Tournament in Salt Lake City.
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Photo Illustration of Lute Olson and various stages in his life. Left to right: A junior in high school, playing football and basketball in college, his first coaching job, coaching at California, Iowa, and UA with Sean Elliott, winning the NCAA national title.
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An agitated Lute Olson stomps partially out onto the court during the run of play after his University of Arizona players failed to score on a possession in the second half against Mississippi State at the Arrowhead Pond in 2004.
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Lute Olson answers a question during a Hollywood Squares type sketch performed by members of the 1988 basketball team during the All-Star dinner Saturday, Aug. 13 2005, at the Westin La Paloma.
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UA's Lute Olson doesn't agree with a call in the first half against Memphis during the Chase Fiesta Bowl Classic at McKale on Dec. 20, 2006. UA won 79-71.
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U of A head coach Lute Olson calls a play from the sidelines in the second half against Oregon at McKale Center in 2007.
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UA head coach Lute Olson talks with former player Jason Gardner at a party at Lutes house in 2005.
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Arizona head coach Lute Olson reacts to a foul against the Wildcats during the second half at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2006.
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UA head basketball coach Lute Olson reacts after crossing the finish line with his wife Christine Olson during the Holualoa Tucson Marathon in Dec. 2006.
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Coach Lute Olson grimaces upon hearing that his University of Arizona team landed a No. 8 seed at the 2007 NCAA Tournament. He was watching the show at the Stadium Club at Arizona Stadium with his wife, Christine.
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In 2007, Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson took the Wildcats to their 23rd consecutive NCAA tournament, the second-longest streak ever. At Tucson International Airport, Olson headed for a chartered flight Wednesday that took the team to New Orleans for a first-round game against Purdue.
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A tired Lute Olson talks in April, 2008, about his return to coaching after a leave of absence.
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Former Arizona men's basketball coach Lute Olson speaks to the media in 2009 during an open topic press conference after stepping down as coach.
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Former UA basketball coach Lute Olson and daughters Christi Snyder, left, and Vicki Olson, right, laugh as he is honored at Lute and Bobbi Olson Court in McKale Center in 2009.
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Former University of Arizona Head basketball coach Lute Olson stands with daughters, Vicki Olson, left, and Christi Snyder, right, while they watch a half time celebration to honor Olson at McKale Center in March, 2009.
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Sean Miller greets Coach Olson in McKale center for the press conference to announce Miller as the new head coach in 2009.
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Former head coach Lute Olson, Damon Stoudamire and Olson's wife, Kelly Olson joke around following a press conference in 2013 to announce Stoudamire's appointment as an assistant to Sean Miller.
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Former Arizona head coach Lute Olson greets old friends and checks out the action during an open practice for the second round of the NCAA 2011 Division 1 Men's Basketball Championship at McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz., on March 16, 2011.
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Lute Olson watches a University of Arizona basketball game in 2013.
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Jason Terry stands with former head coach Lute Olson as his jersey number is retired during halftime at McKale Center in Tucson on Feb. 19, 2015.
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Former Arizona head coach Lute Olson and his wife Kelly Pugnea are two red shirts in a sea of yellow in the second half of the Wildcats' game against Cal at Haas Pavilion, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016, Berkeley, Calif.
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The crowd gathers round to get photos and close look at the new statue of former University of Arizona head coach Lute Olson shortly after its unveiling at the Eddie Lynch Pavilion at McKale Center, Thursday, April 12, 2018, Tucson, Ariz.
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Former University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson stands with his wife Kelly shortly after the unveiling of the statue of Olson at the Eddie Lynch Pavilion at McKale Center, Thursday, April 12, 2018, Tucson, Ariz.
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Former University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson waves to the crowd while making his entrance a statue in his honor at the Eddie Lynch Pavilion at McKale Center, Thursday, April 12, 2018, Tucson, Ariz.
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Arizona men's coach Sean Miller, left, chats with former coach Lute Olson at halftime of the women's game against Northern Arizona at McKale Center, Friday, Dec. 21, 2018, Tucson, Ariz.
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Former Arizona coach head Lute Olson watches the first half of the Wildcats game against Washington at McKale Arena, Thursday, February 7, 2019, Tucson, Ariz.
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Sports editor
Star columnist Greg Hansen tweeted that Olson “is in the fight of his life.” KVOA reported that Olson is receiving hospice care.
Pac-12 Network will air a tribute to the late Lute Olson on Wednesday, which will feature Sean Miller, Jason Terry and Matt Muehlebach, among others.
All summer long, Star columnist Greg Hansen has been counting down Tucson's Top 100 Sports Figures of the last 100 years. Today: No. 1, Lute Olson.
Here's a look at the life of Arizona Wildcats coaching legend Lute Olson, who died Thursday night at age 85.
Here are some of the most memorable quotes from the legendary Arizona Wildcats coach.
Arizona will unveil statue of longtime coach on Thursday.
Named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002, Olson led the Wildcats to the 1997 NCAA title, still the crowning moment to date in UA athletics history, along with three other Final Fours and 22 NCAA Tournament appearances.
When he died Thursday night, Lute Olson's legend had grown far beyond what he accomplished in 24 seasons at McKale Center.
Lute Olson was head basketball coach at the University of Arizona from 1983-2008. He was a seven-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year, made five Fina…
Lute Olson, who died Thursday night at age 85, didn’t just represent Arizona Wildcats basketball or the UA itself; to many, he was Tucson.
Sean Elliott and other ex-Wildcats are planning a Zoom memorial that he says "will serve to immortalize Coach."
The Star columnist shares another example of Lute Olson's genuine love for Arizona Wildcats fans and the city of Tucson. Plus, the latest updates from around the Southern Arizona landscape.
The would-be sophomore had not returned to prepare for the Wildcats' 2020-21 season.
Picking the 25 greatest wins of Lute Olson’s Hall of Fame coaching career was no easy task. There were almost 800 of them, after all.
We’re listing the top 25 wins belonging to Olson, who died Aug. 27 at age 85. We’re limiting the selections to just Olson’s tenure in Tucson. (Almost all of them, anyway).
More notes from Star reporter Bruce Pascoe as the Wildcats hold their first of two virtual media days featuring players.
The coronavirus pandemic delayed the tribute for a year.
The UA will hold a memorial for the legendary coach at 11:30 a.m. Sunday in McKale Center, the building that he made famous.
Olson, who led the Wildcats to Final Four appearances in 1988, 1994, 1997 and 2001 and won the '97 national championship, died in August 2020 at age 85.
Hear what the top-seeded Arizona Wildcats said as they prepare to battle No. 5 seed Houston in the Sweet 16 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.