Robert "Lute" Olson
Alma Mater:
Augsburg (MN)
Class of:
Hometown:
Mayville, ND
- Named national coach of the year by NABC in 1980
- Reached NCAA Final Four five times--1980 (fourth with Iowa), 1988 (tied for third with Arizona), 1994 (tied for third with Arizona), 1997 (first with Arizona) and 2001 (runner-up with Arizona)
- Coach of four Pacific-10 Conference Tournament champions--1988 through 1990 and 2002
- Arizona's all-time winningest coach
- Compiled a 103-22 record (.824) at Long Beach State City College in four seasons from 1969-70 through 1972-73, including the 1971 California community college champion and state runners-up in 1970 and 1973
- Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002
- Final Top 20 Rankings (22: AP/UPI/USA)--1974 (10/11), 1979 (20/11), 1981 (13/12), 1982 (16/16), 1983 (NR/NR/14), 1988 (2/2/3), 1989 (1/1/7), 1990 (14/12/21), 1991 (8/7/10), 1992 (10/5/16), 1993 (5/5/12), 1994 (9/9/3), 1995 (15/13/25), 1996 (11/11/11), 1997 (15/1), 1998 (4/6), 1999 (12/16), 2000 (4/8), 2001 (5/2), 2002 (7/10), 2003 (2/5), 2004 (22/NR) and 2005 (9/6)
- All-Americans (13): Iowa's Ronnie Lester (1979 and 1980) and Arizona's Mike Bibby (1998), Michael Dickerson (1998), Sean Elliott (1988 and 1989), Jason Gardner (2002 and 2003), Steve Kerr (1988), Chris Mills (1993), Khalid Reeves (1994), Miles Simon (1998), Damon Stoudamire (1995), Salim Stoudamire (2005), Jason Terry (1999) and Michael Wright (2001).
Record:
Season | School | Overall | League | Finish | Conference (Division) | Postseason (Record) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
24-2 | 12-0 | 1st | PCAA | Probation | ||
10-16 | 7-11 | 7th | DNP | |||
19-10 | 9-9 | 5th | DNP | |||
18-9 | 10-8 | 4th | DNP | |||
12-15 | 5-13 | 8th | DNP | |||
20-8 | 13-5 | T-1st | NCAA (0-1) | |||
23-10 | 10-8 | 4th | NCAA (4-2) | |||
21-7 | 13-5 | 2nd | NCAA (0-1) | |||
21-8 | 12-6 | T-2nd | NCAA (1-1) | |||
21-10 | 10-8 | 5th | NCAA (2-1) | |||
11-17 | 8-10 | T-5th | DNP | |||
21-10 | 12-6 | T-3rd | NCAA (0-1) | |||
23-9 | 14-4 | 1st | NCAA (0-1) | |||
18-12 | 13-5 | 2nd | NCAA (0-1) | |||
35-3 | 17-1 | 1st | NCAA (4-1) | |||
29-4 | 17-1 | 1st | NCAA (2-1) | |||
25-7 | 15-3 | T-1st | NCAA (1-1) | |||
28-7 | 14-4 | 1st | NCAA (2-1) | |||
24-7 | 13-5 | 3rd | NCAA (0-1) | |||
24-4 | 17-1 | 1st | NCAA (0-1) | |||
29-6 | 14-4 | 1st | NCAA (4-1) | |||
23-8 | 13-5 | 2nd | NCAA (0-1) | |||
26-7 | 13-5 | 2nd | NCAA (2-1) | |||
25-9 | 11-7 | 5th | NCAA (6-0) | |||
30-5 | 17-1 | 1st | NCAA (3-1) | |||
22-7 | 13-5 | 2nd | NCAA (0-1) | |||
27-7 | 15-3 | T-1st | NCAA (1-1) | |||
Arizona** | 28-8 | 15-3 | 2nd | NCAA (5-1) | ||
24-10 | 12-6 | T-2nd | NCAA (2-1) | |||
28-4 | 17-1 | 1st | NCAA (3-1) | |||
20-10 | 11-7 | 3rd | NCAA (0-1) | |||
30-7 | 15-3 | 1st | NCAA (3-1) | |||
20-13 | 11-7 | T-4th | NCAA (1-1) | |||
20-11 | 11-7 | T-3rd | NCAA (0-1) | |||
Arizona Sat out entire season while going through a divorce. |
* Vacated NCAA Tournament game.
** Took 16-day absence in 2000-01 during which the Wildcats went 3-2. He was away to support his late wife, who passed away after a 2 1/2-year battle with ovarian cancer.
NOTE: Record does not reflect being awarded five forfeit victories--two over Minnesota in 1976-77, one over Wisconsin in 1982-83 and two over California (1994-95 and 1995-96). Nineteen wins in 2007-08 were vacated because of sanctions stemming from Olson's involvement with a booster club and promotion of an AAU tournament.
- 34-Year Coaching Record: 779-287 (.731) overall
- 24-2 (.943) in one year at Long Beach State
- 165-93 (.640) in nine years at Iowa
- 590-192 (.754) in 24 years at Arizona
- 12-0 (1.000) in Pacific Coast Athletic Association
- 89-73 (.549) in Big Ten Conference
- 328-102 (.763) in Pacific-10 Conference
- 16-6 (.727) in Pacific-10 Tournament
- 46-28 (.622) in NCAA Tournament