Lute Olson 'was more than a coach' for Arizona's 1997 championship team
Lute Olson comes on the video board during the player introductions before every Arizona home game and the chant of "Luuuuute" erupts from the fans. He flashes his ring just after throwing up one finger and saying "one National Championship" sending the crowd into a frenzy.
The Hall of Fame former Arizona coach will be remembered for many things during his life, but leading the Wildcats to their lone basketball title is something fans will never forget. Olson died Thursday and scrolling through social media that night proved how much he meant to so many people in Tucson and beyond.
He brought the basketball program at UA to national prominence and it remains one of the elite programs in the West. His crowning achievement remains that championship in 1997 that came at the end of an improbable run through the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats knocked off three No. 1 seeds on their way to the championship, a feat that had not been accomplished before that team and Arizona remains as the only program to do it in the 64-NCAA Tournament format.
That team — Miles Simon, Mike Bibby, Jason Terry, Michael Dickerson, A.J. Bramlett, Bennett Davison, Eugene Edgerson, Josh Pastner, Quynn Tebbs, Jason Lee, Justin Wessel, Donnell Harris, Ortege Jenkins, John Ash and Jason Stewart — featured some of the most memorable faces to ever come through the program.
Those players hold a special place in the hearts of Arizona fans and Olson holds a special place in the heart of those players for what he helped them accomplish as college players leading them to the top of the mountain in 1997.
"Coach you had a presence about you that not many have," Simon, who won the Most Outstanding Player award in 1997, said after Olson's death. "Commanded a room as soon as you walked in!! Coach Olson, You were not only a great coach, but a tremendous family man, father figure, grandpa, friend, role mode and mentor!!!
"You impacted so many lives in such a positive way and your lessons will be passed on through many generations of families and coaches. You helped shape young boys and change them to men!! You changed a whole community and that is so remarkable. I'm so thankful that you saw something in me that allowed me to be a part of the best basketball family in the country!!! I LOVE YOU COACH O WITH ALL I GOT!!! Thank you and I'm so glad we got that ring together!!!"
Simon and Mike Bibby became two of the faces of the title run with Bibby eventually moving on to become the second overall pick in the NBA Draft after one more season in Tucson.
"Coach O was not only an amazing coach but was even a better human being," Bibby said. "A great role model and a great friend and mentor. He taught me so much on and off the court. I will forever be grateful. Thank you for giving me opportunities and believing in me. I’m going to miss you. Love you Coach O. Rest In Peace."
The idea of belief is something that has come up many times since the news of Olson's death spread Thursday evening. The Wildcats needed plenty of it in 1997 and it is something that players have gravitated toward when recalling what their coach meant to them. His impact for those players goes far beyond the typical coach-player relationship.
"He was more than a coach, he was a father figure, a mentor, a true champion," Terry, who went on to play 19 years in the NBA and is now an assistant coach for the Wildcats, said. "Thank you for believing in me."
Bramlett was another key piece to Arizona's title run and the big man from New Mexico recounted the connections he was able to make by being part of a program and team built by Olson. The words "family" and "brotherhood" get thrown around quite a bit in sports, but for so many of Olson's players that is exactly what he created during his 24 seasons at the helm for the Wildcats.
"Thank you Coach O for creating a second family for so many of us." Bramlett said. "... Didn’t matter the generation. You could be in Spain, LA, Tucson anywhere in the world and if a fellow Wildcat brotha was there you knew you had some family beside you. Love you Coach O and we will continue to carry on your legacy through how we live our lives, raise our kids, and impact our communities. Bear Down Lute."
Many of Olson's players have followed his path into coaching, and his coaching tree continues to grow each season. Pastner has established his career as a coach in large part because of Olson. The former UA walk-on eventually joined Olson's staff at his alma mater and has since gone on to head coaching stints at Memphis and now Georgia Tech.
"Coach Olson is the absolute best, one of the greatest coaches ever and one of the greatest human beings ever," Pastner said. "My feelings of gratitude and appreciation cannot be put in words. I love him dearly. My heart hurts, but I know he is now in heaven. May god bless his family."
When it comes to Olson's impact on that championship team it is clear the shiny trophy is not what the group will remember most about its late coach. His lasting legacy with them will be what he taught them and created for them through his leadership during their time that will always be remembered at Arizona.
SHARE your thoughts and fondest memories of Arizona's legendary coach with other Wildcat fans.
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