The Lute Olson coaching tree continues to grow each year it seems. Many of the legendary former Arizona coach's players have gone on to follow his path into the world of coaching including some of the program's most famous Wildcats from the Olson era. Many of those players have even had stints coaching at Arizona and that has helped them spring board into other positions.

Two of those players shined together in Tucson as both Damon Stoudamire and Reggie Geary were part of the Arizona backcourt when the Wildcats advanced to the Final Four in 1994. Both eventually went on to play in the NBA and both eventually returned to Tucson to spend time on the bench as coaches at their alma mater.

The common bond is, of course, Arizona as well as Olson. The Hall of Fame coach died Thursday at age 85 and both players took time to remember their former coach.

Stoudamire recounted a story from his days as a high school recruit out of Portland that he posted to Twitter last week. The former UA guard said he told Louisville head coach Denny Crum he was headed to play for the Cardinals, but that was before a three-hour conversation with Olson.

The longtime NBA guard and 1996 NBA Rookie of Year had a strong bond with his former head coach. Stoudamire was one of the players who spoke at the dedication ceremony of Olson's statue outside the Hall of Champions at McKale Center back in the spring of 2018. In 2016, the UA star wrote a letter to his younger self for The Players' Tribune and in that piece Stoudamire highlighted his relationship with Olson and how much it meant to his life.

"He’s going to walk into your living room when you’re in high school with that slick white hair and that immaculate suit, and he’s going to tell you the truth," Stoudamire wrote. "He’s not going to be a used-car salesman. He’s not going to tell you that you’re a superstar. He’s going to say, 'You know what, Damon? I already got a point guard. And he’s terrific. But I think you can be terrific, too. I’m going to make you into a man.'

"Follow this man to Arizona. Don’t do it because of basketball. Lute is a great coach, but it’s not about that. Do it because he’s going to care about you as a human being. A lot of NCAA coaches want to use you for Ws. Lute wants to turn you into well-rounded human being."

So many of the messages and social media posts about Olson from his former players and colleagues have centered around how much he has meant to their lives away from the court as he has on it.

When speaking about his former back in 2018, Stoudamire focused on that aspect mentioning that Olson and his wife, Kelly, still made sure to call his mother regularly as one example of how the UA legend continued to impact his life.

"I just really want to say that I was blessed to came in contact with with such a great man," Stoudamire said. "He's really helped me a whole lot. He's been there for me. ... He's just been a blessing in my life from the day I came to Arizona, and he's taught me so much. I owe a lot of the successes that I've had, not only as a basketball player but just in life, I owe it to coach Olson."

Stoudamire had a stint as an assistant coach at Arizona from 2013-15 as a member of current head coach Sean Miller's staff. He is now the head coach at Pacific where he was named the West Coast Conference Coach of the Year this spring.

Geary also has been a member of the UA staff and he was able to work for Olson starting in 2005 before returning as an assistant on the coaching staff in 2008. The former UA guard, who earned a reputation as a star defensive player during his college days, is again back at the school working as director of development for the Wildcat Club.

"Coach O meant the world to me and my family, "Geary said after the news of Olson's death spread last week. "My whole adult life Coach has been a powerful voice and mentor for me. At every major event of my life and countless others' lives, Coach was there to guide, encourage, and celebrate our biggest accomplishments. As a player, he saw my value and allowed me to blossom in his system.

"As a coach, he gave me my first professional job. He will be greatly missed by so many, and that's a true testament to his life as not only a brilliantly successful coach but also a family man and community icon. I am grateful I had the opportunity to be coached, taught, mentored, and respected by such a legendary man."

Each Final Four team certainly holds a special place in the heart of Arizona fans and Olson holds a special place in the heart of his former players such as Stoudamire and Geary who both followed his path.

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