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March 10, 2008
LUTE OLSON TO
RETURN NEXT SEASON
Hall of fame coach has been away since
Nov. 4
TUCSON, Ariz. — University of Arizona
Athletics Director Jim Livengood today
confirmed that Lute Olson would return to
his position as head coach of the Wildcats
basketball team at the conclusion of the
current season.
Olson has been away from the program since
Nov. 4, and is returning to fulfill a
contract with the University that runs
through 2011.
“We are delighted that Lute will be
rejoining the program,” Livengood said. “He
is one of the true legends of collegiate
coaching, and his return is something that I
know will be embraced by everyone who cares
about our basketball program.”
Olson said, “I am very eager to be back
doing what I love, which is coaching this
team. I appreciate everyone’s support during
this period and want to thank Kevin O’Neill
for the great job he’s done in my absence.”
Olson noted that his leave from the team was
necessitated “by a medical condition that
was not life-threatening, but serious enough
to require time away from my coaching
responsibilities.”
“I know there has been a lot of speculation
about my situation,” Olson said. “I’m glad
we can clear the air, but the most important
thing right now is the team. All of our
effort and attention should be on these
student-athletes and their efforts to
advance to the NCAA Tournament.”
Livengood said O’Neill, UA’s top assistant
since May 1 and the interim coach in Olson’s
absence, “has handled a very difficult
situation with tremendous poise, and I can’t
begin to say how appreciative we are of the
job he has done.”
Olson has a career record of 780-280 (.736)
in 34 seasons as a collegiate head coach and
589-187 (.759) in 24 years at Arizona. He
was inducted into the Naismith Memorial
Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 27, 2002,
and became the 16th coach in basketball
history (covering all levels) to tally 1,000
career victories on Dec. 11, 2004.
During his 24-year tenure at Arizona, the
Wildcats have won one national championship
(1997), played in the national championship
game (2001), participated in four Final
Fours (1988, 1994, 1997, 2001), won 11
Pac-10 Conference titles, four Pac-10
Tournament crowns (1988, ‘89, ‘90, 2002) and
been to the NCAA Tournament for 23
consecutive seasons, which is the longest
active and second-longest streak in NCAA
history (North Carolina, 27). He also led
Iowa to the 1980 Final Four.
He has the most Pac-10 wins (327) of any
coach in league history and the second-best
conference winning percentage (.764/327-101)
and second-most league championships won
(11) in Pac-10 history (minimum three
years), trailing only UCLA’s John Wooden
(.810/304-74/16 titles). Olson has been
named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year seven
times (1986, ‘88, ‘89, ‘93, ‘94, ‘98, 2003),
the Big Ten Coach of the Year twice (1979 &
‘81) and directed the UA program to the
nation’s third-best winning percentage over
the past 20 years (519-142/.785).
In his collegiate career, Olson has produced
52 NBA Draft picks, including 31 at Arizona.
He’s led UA to 20 consecutive 20-win seasons
and has 29 overall in his career, making him
one of only three head coaches in NCAA
history to record 29 or more 20-win seasons.
Arizona director of athletics Jim Livengood
is returning to Tucson on Monday and will
address the media tomorrow (Tues., March 11)
at 11:30 a.m. PDT in McKale Center room
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