Collection: Lute was star of local photographer's iconic basketball posters

Few teams wanted to play a program on the upswing. Now, the Wildcats must try to find willing opponents that also have similar testing protocols as the Pac-12.

Both players recall how Lute Olson, who died last week at age 85, helped them in times of adversity.

Ex-Wildcat Matt Muehlebach said UA coach Sean Miller probably summed it up best when he said Lute Olson had “no weaknesses” as a coach. Then, as did everyone else, Muehlebach made it clear he was not just talking about what Olson did on the floor.

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.

Chris Mooney produced posters that still hang in Tucson restaurants, bars, businesses and home garages.

How?

Coach Lute Olson, who died last week at age 85, "always said I made him look good," Mooney said. "I thought that was funny that he’d tell me that, because he was just a good-looking guy and easy to photograph.”

Over five days, we'll list the top 25 wins belonging to hall of fame coach Lute 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).

TheUA will likely keep many of its nonconference single-game home opponents. Everything else, including the Wildcats' Pac-12 slate, is likely to change.

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.