Beyond the Arc : Lute Olson

Olson's support staff failed him

Mike Miller — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:52:00 GMT

The reason behind Lute Olson’s sudden retirement became clear on Tuesday when Olson’s doctor revealed the coach suffered a stroke during 2008. As a result, Olson was advised to retire.

So there’s the reason. And it’s a mighty good one. Olson, who recently announced his engagement, just turned 74. He’d like to spend more time with his grandkids, kids and fiancée.

Still, the timing remains curious. Where was Olson’s support staff?

On Nov. 3, 2007, Olson told Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood that he would need a leave of absence. On Dec. 6, Olson said he would miss the entire season. The same day, Olson filed for divorce from his wife, Christine.

Conventional thinking? Divorce isn’t easy, so Olson would need time to recover. But health questions lingered.

In January, the Tucson Citizen revealed Olson would have to be using sick leave by the end of January, and that “sick leave can only be used by someone who is ill or caring for an immediate family member who is ill.” The school doesn’t comment.

After that, there wasn’t much mention about Olson’s health because neither Olson nor the school was talking about it. When he returned in March, he tried to re-establish himself, but he wasn’t the same coach Arizona was used to seeing.

Now the doctor says Olson’s "severe depression" and "changes in judgment” were the result of a stroke and no doubt contributed to his tumultuous summer. Hey, no argument there.

The thing is, what took so long to make this decision? Olson’s stroke happened months ago. (It was confirmed by an MRI on Monday, but why did it take so long to perform the MRI? This never occured to anyone during the summer?)

It’s not an easy thing to convince a coach like Olson to retire. That’s a given. But this wasn’t a case of him being unable to produce a winning team anymore. This was about his health. His doctors should’ve been more forceful. School officials should’ve taken a stand. His fiancée and his kids could’ve convinced him.

The whole episode just makes Olson’s departure even more sad. The coach deserved better.

UPDATE: From Olson's doctor, Steven Knope:

"Unlike a typical stroke that you may imagine where someone is unable to walk or talk or move a limb, this stroke occurred in a part of the brain where much of his intellectual function and his motor function was perfectly normal," Knope said. "So it wasn’t quite apparent. The tipoff and the clue came in the last several weeks, when we began to treat what appeared to be a bout of depression that simply didn’t respond."

There's my answer. I'd like to think this was the first time Olson showed any symptoms of a stroke, but his summer says otherwise to me. I wish more could've been done for him before now.

Tracking the bizarre finish to Olson's career

Mike Miller — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:02:00 GMT

Lute Olson capped a bizarre year with a bizarre finish to his career.

The various reports about the Arizona basketball coach retiring were true, and it’s a melancholy, ultimately unsatisfying end to a Hall of Fame career. Olson, 74, will go down as one of college hoops’ greatest coaches, but I wonder how long the events of the last year will stick with him.

With any luck, it won’t be long. Olson deserves better.

Steve Dipaola/Reuters file

Lute Olson won 780 games and an NCAA tournament title during his 34-year career.

For those needing a refresher, the Tucson Citizen compiled an Olson timeline of events. It covers the exit of a longtime assistant, Olson’s leave of absence and subsequent divorce, the Wildcats’ struggles last season, losing the nation’s top recruit and an NCAA boo-boo.

It’s a tough ending for a coach who built Arizona into one of the game’s premier programs.

When Dick Vitale broke the story earlier Thursday, the school wouldn’t confirm the story, even though assistants were telling recruits that Reggie Geary would be taking over the program.

That prompted reactions of disbelief and indignation. (None of the players have commented yet.) The school later confirmed the retirement Thursday evening.

Chase Budinger’s father, Duncan, said the reports were “disturbing” and told the Citzen that the program “did not need any more drama”.

Debbie Witley, the mother of freshman center Jeff, was less delicate. She found out about Olson through a text message.

"That's how I find out?" she told the Citizen. "The mother of one of the top players. . . To find out this way is unbelievable.”

She went on to say, "I feel totally betrayed. That's me personally. I have no clue how Jeffrey feels right now. He probably is just concerned with playing. He doesn't care about this stuff. But that's why we're the parents."

No reason has emerged why Olson is retiring, but the Arizona Daily Star reported Olson missed practice on Wednesday because he wasn’t feeling well. Combine that 12 previous months that were stressful and speculation about Olson’s retirement focuses around his health.

But maybe not. Olson’s a fit 74-year-old. He announced his engagement earlier this fall and – though the timing could be better – he could just want to enjoy time away from hoops.

It creates an odd ending to his career, but not an overshadowing ending. Unlike ex-coaches like Eddie Sutton (forced out at Oklahoma State on the heels of a DUI), Clem Haskins (charges of academic fraud at Minnesota) or Dave Bliss (who sullied a murdered player’s name), Olson’s legacy isn’t in question.

Rush the Court did an excellent analysis of Olson’s accomplishments, including his regular-season and postseason successes and failures. The highlights are impressive:

780-280 (.736) record in 34 years
1 national title and 5 Final Fours
23 consecutive NCAA tourney appearances, 45-27 in the Big Dance
11 Pac-10 titles

But beyond the numbers, Olson’s legacy will be secure because Arizona is likely to fall off the map as a college hoops contender. The Wildcats were the premier program west of the Mississippi during Olson’s tenure.

And that’s something an odd finish can’t tarnish.

Busier Arizona 70-something: Olson or McCain?

Mike Miller — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:47:00 GMT

Lute Olson’s had a busy year by anyone’s standards, let alone a guy who just turned 74 less than two weeks ago.

Olson took last season off as Arizona’s basketball coach for personal reasons, finalized a divorce and came back this summer to find his star recruit bolt for Europe and two others change their minds. Last month, the NCAA announced it will investigate a possible recruiting violation.

None of that slowed down Olson, though. During a benefit dinner Wednesday hosted by ex-Wildcats star Steve Kerr, Olson announced his engagement to Kelly Pugnea, a Tucson resident. The two haven’t set a wedding date.

Never confuse Lute Olson with a man who focuses on one thing at a time.

Pugnea, 47, is a divorced mom of two boys. She met Olson about seven months ago. (Yes, that was when Olson was still finalizing his divorce.)

So, to recap, here’s Olson’s year, in a nutshell:

In November, Olson announced he’d take a leave of absence for undisclosed reasons. By Dec. 7, it was clear that it extended to the rest of the season when he filed for divorce from his wife, Christine. (They were married in 2003.) Assistant coach Kevin O’Neill took over on an interim basis.

Jan. 8: Christine Olson filed a court challenge to the divorce, asking for the couple to take counseling instead.

March 11: Arizona announces Olson will resume his head coaching duties once the season ends.

April 5: Star freshman Jerryd Bayless declares for the NBA draft.

Things didn’t go well when Olson returned. The Wildcats finished the season 19-15 and lost in the NCAA tournament’s opening round. By April 23, O’Neill was re-assigned in the Arizona athletic department.

May 18: Star recruit Emmanuel Negedu asks for a release. He would later enroll at Tennessee.

The biggest blow to the Arizona program came on July 9 when the nation’s top prep player, Brandon Jennings, officially announced he would play next season in Europe.

July 29: Another recruit, center/forward Greg Smith, decides not to attend Arizona. He’ll go to Fresno State instead.

Sept. 15: The NCAA will investigate a possible Arizona recruiting violation. Olson sent a letter to basketball boosters asking for a donation to Jim Storey’s Arizona Cactus Classic basketball tournament. Rules prevent boosters from arranging financial assistance for potential recruits. Olson called the letter “an unfortunate and regrettable error.”

But good news on the recruiting front: Olson secured a commitment for the 2009 class in guard Abdul Gaddy on Sept. 17. He’d originally settled on Arizona back in 2007, but wasn’t sure if he’d stick with the commitment.

If nothing else, Olson still has the recruiting touch.

Eat your heart out John McCain. You're not the only Arizona 70-something who seemingly never sleeps.

The greatest programs: No. 8, Arizona

Mike Miller — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:17:00 GMT

Arizona hasn’t missed the NCAA tournament since 1984. That streak alone – the second longest in NCAA history – would necessitate inclusion among the greatest college basketball programs of all time.

But the Wildcats have done more since ’84 than just consistently win. They’ve produced some of the NCAA's most talented teams, several memorable games (the ’05 regional final against Illinois still amazes) and developed into one of college hoops' truly elite programs.

How else would they end up at No. 8 on this list?

Arizona’s won at least 25 games 12 times during that remarkable streak, a feat few teams can match. Same with their 29 weeks atop the AP rankings. Even more impressive are Arizona’s five times as a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. Only UNC, Duke, Kentucky and Kansas have more.

The Wildcats’ 1,547 wins are more than Cincinnati, while their .645 win percentage is better than UConn’s.

They’ve reached four Final Fours won a title, and have won their 41 NCAA tournament games at a better rate than Syracuse.

Arizona also sports 21 regular-season conference titles, 27 Big Dance appearances and when it comes to NBA players, few schools can match their sheer number or All-Star players.

Most of this starts with Lute Olson, who arrived in Tucson in 1983 and has won nearly 600 games in that span. But even Olson had some minor Arizona success to build on.

Because before they were Wildcats, there was Pop McKale. He won more than 80 percent of his games in seven seasons, still a school record for a coach with at least 3 years’ experience. Arizona kept winning with three coaches in the four seasons, then had 36 seasons of stability under Fred Enke, who remains the longest tenured coach in school history.

Enke’s teams won 509 games and claimed 11 Border Conference titles, though they weren’t nearly as consistent as later years. The ‘Cats could go 25-5 or 4-22.

Perhaps more important than wins was Fred Snowden’s hiring in 1972, which made him the first black coach in major college basketball.

His squads started fast, reaching the Elite Eight during his fourth season, but after three straight losing seasons, he was out by 1982. Still, his influence on coaching hires and Arizona basketball was significant.

"He comes and turns Tucson into a basketball town and just as McKale Center rocks now, it rocked then," says former Wildcat All-American Bob Elliott.

"Lute took the path that Freddy had paved and added to it, but he didn't have to start with a dirt road.”

One thing’s for sure, Olson didn’t waste any time.

By 1986, the Wildcats had won their first of 10 regular-season Pac-10 crowns. That season also featured Olson’s first superstar recruit in Sean Elliott, who most consider the best player to ever wear a Wildcats uniform.

(Not that there’s much debate. Elliott was a two-time consensus All-American and won the Wooden award his senior season AND led the ‘Cats to their first-ever Final Four. That’s what you call a lasting legacy.)

The 1988 squad was even better, and perhaps the best in school history. The 35-3 team was atop the rankings for five weeks and ran away with the Pac-10, finishing 17-1. Some claimed they were rarely tested during the season, but there was no denying their talent, especially when they hammered North Carolina for their first Final Four berth.

It set up one of those classic games, where 34-3 Oklahoma loomed as the national semifinal opponent and most thought the winner would breeze to the national title. (It didn’t happen, but that’s another post.)

After a few more runs to the Sweet 16, Arizona had been established as a perennial contender. Of course, there were a few hiccups in the early ‘90s.

A 24-7 in 1992 ended with a loss to Eastern Tennessee State. The next year was a stunning upset to No. 15 Santa Clara. The next year, the ‘Cats were in the Final Four. In ’95, it was another first-round NCAA tourney loss.

And just when Olson was dealing with a growing reputation as a coach who couldn’t win the big one, along came the 1997 team.

Arizona entered the Big Dance at 19-9, but reeled off six straight wins, including a stunning upset of 34-1 Kansas. When the ‘Cats followed that with wins against North Carolina and Kentucky in the Final Four, they became the only team to ever beat three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tourney.

The close-knit group featured what was one of the biggest NCAA trends in the ‘90s and early 2000s, a three-guard offense that presented all sorts of matchup problems for opponents. With MOP Miles Simon, point guard Mike Bibby, big guard Michael Dickerson and scoring sensation Jason Terry off the bench, Olson utilized his most talented players and cemented Arizona’s rep as a guard-oriented school. (Which has morphed into Wing U lately.)

It also set up the Wildcats as one of the scariest teams around. For the next six years, Arizona could score in bunches because of their athletic, NBA-caliber guards. (You know the ones: Guys like Gilbert Arenas, Andre Aguodala, Richard Jefferson, and Damon Stoudemire.)

The uber-talented 2001 squad lost to Duke in the national title game, while the 2003 incarnation was tabbed the preseason favorite.

Sure, neither team won a title, but the steady pipeline of pro players continued into Tucson. Even Arizona’s recent struggles haven’t dried up the talent well (though Brandon Jennings’ flight to Europe was a stunner).

At this point, the only thing that can derail Arizona’s overall program is Olson’s retirement. The ‘Cats continued their NCAA streak last season without Olson, but it wasn’t the same Arizona team we’re used to seeing.

Olson turns 74 in September, but says he wants to coach for another four or five seasons. If that happens, don’t expect Arizona to drop on this list anytime soon.

Coming next Tuesday, No. 7 on the list of greatest programs.

No. 15: Michigan State.

Is Lute trying to top JoePa?

Mike Miller — Fri, 23 May 2008 17:24:00 GMT

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.)