Is Lute trying to top JoePa?

Posted: Friday, May 23, 2008 1:24 PM
Filed Under: Links roundups, Coaches, Lute Olson

The Friday links, for your reading pleasure. (Even if you’ve already left work to enjoy a long weekend.)

Lute Olson’s return to the Arizona bench next season should be interesting. It’s been a rough offseason for the silver fox. He lost players to the NBA draft, another could transfer and another requested a release from his letter of intent. Arizona also had bench shake-up, losing a top recruiter to Memphis, not renewing the contract of another assistant – and former star and losing interim coach Kevin O’Neill to the NBA.

Yeesh. It’s no wonder he’s eager to add some lost luster back to the program. But can he really want to coach another five or six years?

He’ll turn 74 this September, an age when most hoops coaches have long since retired. Need some context?

Dean Smith, John Wooden, Bob Knight all were in their mid-60s (though Knight has hinted at returning) when they quit. Hall of Famer Denny Crum coached 30 seasons at Louisville and retired after the 2000-01 season – and he’s 2½ years younger than Olson.

(Joe Paterno's now in his 80s, but with less travel, fewer games and more assistant coaches, it's a little easier to be a college football coach.)

John Chaney was 74 when he retired as Temple’s coach two years ago. So Olson wants to coach this season, fulfill his contract that expires in 2011 and coach another “two or three years” after that? That’s a man who either loves coaching or feels like he has something to prove.

It’s likely 80 percent the former – retirement questions pop up every now and again for Olson, but he always focuses on the sheer enjoyment of the job as a reason for returning – and 20 percent the latter. After all, when one takes a self-imposed leave of absence to resolve personal matters and return to a decimated roster, it would leave an unsatisfied taste in one’s mouth.

Olson’s always been able to recruit. He’s won more games than any active coach except Coach K. If he’s focused on returning Arizona to its previous heights, that seems like a good bet to me.

• It’d help if Tucson was Alex Stephenson’s destination. Some think the ex-UNC big man is headed to UCLA. (Was he tired of Deon Thompson’s scraps?)
• Even if Thompson doesn’t head to Westwood, Ben Howland still locked up a big body to replace Kevin Love.
• Indiana keeps losing players – down to 3 returnees! – but maybe Jeremiah Rivers can pick up the slack. Or a 7-foot JUCO player.
• Jerel McNeal’s heading back to Marquette. He’ll be in the mix for Big East player of the year.
• Fewer one-and-done players next year? That’ll put a smile on a fan’s face. (Like mine.)
• Maryland ended up passing on a hoops star with a history of legal troubles. Gary Williams may have missed the NCAA tourney this season, but he’s not selling out. (Of course, he earned plaudits not long ago for taking in Evans. Times change.)
• The O.J. Mayo drama is beyond tiresome. Wake me when something newsworthy happens.
• WCC’s Big Monday games could move to Thursdays. Translation: “Hey Gonzaga, mind playing later in the week?”
• Huh. I find it hard to believe anything hoops related can struggle in Kentucky. Was there a Tubby Smith exhibit?
• Now here’s a dunk compilation to love. A dunk list ain’t nothin’ without video clips. (But where the hell’s Grant Hill’s dunk in the ’91 title game against Kansas? Dwight Howard woulda been hard pressed to go get that alley-oop.)

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