Bear Down Wildcats

Just read that.

Thoughts are with Coach and his family.

I was wondering a few weeks ago how he was doing. Thats really unfortunate. I hope the Legend can pull through. Going to be a sad day in Tucson and the college basketball world if not

Oh, good Christ. What a sh*t day this has turned out to be.

Prayers for the immortal (to this fan, anyway).

Fuck 2020

Hang in there coach

Bleh what an awful year. He is about to turn 86 but still.

Of course this would happen in 2020. OF. FUCKING. COURSE.

I'll be keeping him in my thoughts. We love you Coach.

Reports now are that he’s in hospice care. I hope he’s at peace and surrounded by loved ones. Bear Down Coach O!

NickyBCats wrote:Reports now are that he’s in hospice care. I hope he’s at peace and surrounded by loved ones. Bear Down Coach O!

Damnit. That’s my coach.

I feel for his family tonight. And I include his players, fellow coaches, fans, and anyone else he touched through his friendship or collegiality when I say that.

We love you Coach O.

I remember where I was, and who I was with, when Lute’s hiring was announced; he was that momentous of a figure. And, he didn’t disappoint!!!

My best friend and I immediately high-fived, and proclaimed: “We’re going to the Final Four!!!” Then we had to explain our excitement to our girlfriends...

A living legend!!! How more fucked can 2020 be???

Bear Down Lute!!!!

Terrible news. In a selfish way I know we won’t be able to give him the proper send off. People in Tucson would line the streets for his motorcade, McKale would be packed for his remembrance. Instead because of this POS virus we mourn and eulogize from home. In many ways, we are all here in small part because of him. God speed coach O

Ah fuck.

Not until the buzzer sounds.

I grew up in Iowa. I’ve known Lute since the 70’s. I remember when I was in jr high, we were shooting hoops at my friends house (they were huge Iowa backers) and Lute, Jim Roz and a bunch of players showed up. We hooped it up with them. One of the biggest times I ever had as a kid.

He’s a great guy, I wish his family the best.

azcat49 wrote:Terrible news. In a selfish way I know we won’t be able to give him the proper send off. People in Tucson would line the streets for his motorcade, McKale would be packed for his remembrance. Instead because of this POS virus we mourn and eulogize from home. In many ways, we are all here in small part because of him. God speed coach O

I was thinking about this. In normal times there probably would be a overflow memorial service in Arizona Stadium with like 60k in attendance with half the town shutting down for a day but now he won't get the proper send off from the town that he helped build.

well what a bomb on an already bad day...

Thank you Coach O for everything you gave us.

We are all here because of that man. He either invited or cemented or inspired our Arizona Wildcat fandom. I know we are all crushed.

So let’s turn this into our favorite stories of Lute’s Arizona.

Horrible scan but one of my favorite pictures ever. Me, Coach O, and my best friend, a fellow dormie/alum at the pre-game Alumni Association function.

Please forgive the Dickie V shirt!

February 1992 - St. Petersburg Florida, 7-Up Shootout. Arizona 66 - Temple 60 Matt Othick with 7 3-pointers.

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/02/23 ... 698821200/

I, can't.

This year is just so horrible, in so many ways.

I'd always hoped I could meet Lute somehow. Maybe a fan event of some sort. Not sure. But I'm hardly ever in Tucson these days, and the guy has just gotten older. We all have.

Calling him a great man just feels so, so understated. He lifted up all of Tucson. Made a small city love a game and a team like they never had before. He mentored and inspired so many young men for so many years. I hope that as a teacher I'm lucky enough to enlighten and motivate a small fraction of the number Lute did.

Love ya, Lute.

You know what I always loved about Lute? You never saw him swear (or at least I never did) when he was arguing with the refs. Whenever I read his lips as a kid, I always saw him saying "Oh baaaaaaaaloney". Always amused me.

I was lucky enough to get his autograph after a (Sean Miller era) red/blue game. Only time I ever saw him in real life. I made sure to thank him, and he looked at me real quick, then went back to signing, trying to get in as many autographs as he could.

Grew up watching the NCAA tourney and loved the cats from the Snowden days and dreamed of what it would be like to go to a FF. Then coach O was hired and 86-87 happened. We were just crushing everyone we faced and that win against NC in Seattle was amazing. The emotion in McKale to greet the team was as pure of a love as you can find outside of your wife or children.

Then we lost and lost again in 94 and I wondered what it would be like to play on a Monday and 97 happened. Lute just made your dreams happen. When he walked in a room the command was given to him. He inspired everyone to be better. You didn’t have to play for him to feel that, you just had to be around him.

I guess we knew this time was coming and it seemed nearer when he wasn’t at McKale all year. The one shining hope is the joyous reunion he will share with Bobbi. I think she will greet him with some hot apple pancakes

These were the best commercials.

Arizona Wildcats coaching legend Lute Olson, 85, is ailing

Bruce Pascoe Aug 25, 2020 Updated 3 hrs ago

https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildca ... 20877.html" target="_blank

azcat49 wrote:Grew up watching the NCAA tourney and loved the cats from the Snowden days and dreamed of what it would be like to go to a FF. Then coach O was hired and 86-87 happened. We were just crushing everyone we faced and that win against NC in Seattle was amazing. The emotion in McKale to greet the team was as pure of a love as you can find outside of your wife or children.

Then we lost and lost again in 94 and I wondered what it would be like to play on a Monday and 97 happened. Lute just made your dreams happen. When he walked in a room the command was given to him. He inspired everyone to be better. You didn’t have to play for him to feel that, you just had to be around him.

I guess we knew this time was coming and it seemed nearer when he wasn’t at McKale all year. The one shining hope is the joyous reunion he will share with Bobbi. I think she will greet him with some hot apple pancakes

Just a minor correction

'86/'87 was the season Steve Kerr was out with the ACL, and the U of A lost a first round NCAA game to UTEP (w/Tim Hardaway) @ McKale...

The first Final Four season was '87/'88....

Bear Down Coach!

Also. . .2020 can goddamnsunnubishgotohell!

AZCatGirl wrote:You know what I always loved about Lute? You never saw him swear (or at least I never did) when he was arguing with the refs. Whenever I read his lips as a kid, I always saw him saying "Oh baaaaaaaaloney". Always amused me.

I was lucky enough to get his autograph after a (Sean Miller era) red/blue game. Only time I ever saw him in real life. I made sure to thank him, and he looked at me real quick, then went back to signing, trying to get in as many autographs as he could.

There was some magazine in late 80s/ early 90s that did a story about Lute.
I think it was called Sport.
Anyway, they quoted Lute and the quote included a swear. Supposedly was taken during a game.
As I recall local media discredited the author and magazine because Lute didn’t swear.
The author had just made up a quote that he thought was something a coach would yell during a game.

Hate to talk about it but I truly hope someone in McKale is already planning some sort of memorial parade motorcade. Bring it down Broadway and I will stand in the same place I stood in 1997. I will help plan it if they won't. 6 feet apart up and down Broadway, Speedway, Pima, Campbell, University, etc. Shut it all down for the man, whatever it takes

My dad used to go to the practices when they were open. Never heard him swear once. KO on the other hand...

Miller often swears, many times on national TV.

Just an add. In 86 when we won the world championship, Lute put Muggsy Bogues on Drazen Petrovic, not only did it work but I felt it showed Bogues could play at an NBA level. He played for 14 years because of Lute. The guy could just flat out coach

Fucking gutted.

Love you Coach O.

RIP coach. I'm glad I got to be a student while you were still coaching. I missed all of the final 4's under you but your legacy will be felt in Tucson for decades to come. You built this town and are a major reason why I love it here. Also, fuck 2020.

Love you coach. RIP. Say hi to Bobbi for us.

He was Tucson. He was this community. Tucson is the biggest small town I've ever been to. Nothing in the last 40 years could mean as much as he did to this town. I'm glad I got to be here for part of it. Even if it was just the very end.

RIP Coach, we'll always cherish what you did for Tucson.

RIP Coach Olson. Legend won’t be forgotten.

I lived in Tucson when Coach Olson first came to the U of A. You could tell immediately there was something about him that commanded respect and loyalty. One of my greatest thrills was getting a selfie with him a few years ago at the PAC 12 tournament. He took the time for everybody that wanted a picture with him. A true gentleman.

RIP, you’ll be missed.

scumdevils86 wrote:He was Tucson. He was this community. Tucson is the biggest small town I've ever been to. Nothing in the last 40 years could mean as much as he did to this town. I'm glad I got to be here for part of it. Even if it was just the very end.

Couldn’t’ve said it better - RIP Coach Lute

RIP Lute! I have so many great memories from his time in Tucson and I was always so proud of how great of a person he was. The love from his players was the ultimate example of who Lute was.

RIP to a legend

Overall, Olson won seven NCAA tournament games against No. 1 seeds (7-5 record). The only coach to win more such games since 1979 is Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, who is 8-7 in those games.

Did not know this stat. Legend.

Tucson needs to figure out a way to safely gather to celebrate his life. He means too much to so many people

Lute = Tucson

Rest In Peace Lute. You gave us so much and asked for so little in return. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

“Look at all these people here!” He said smiling when somebody handed him the mic late at night in March 1988, walking into a packed McKale Center with his team after flying back to Tucson with our first Final Four secured.

Where else would we be? We loved him for all the reasons anyone would. The world is such a better place for the men he helped to form by freaking 1988. Everything he built further on that will always be unfathomable.

Even all of us he never shaped directly owe so much of who we are to everything that was so clearly the model we needed to aspire to.

We'll always be brothers for that, and I love you all.

May the legend live forever -

LH

Respect LH.

I moved to Az from SoCal after my dad died unexpectedly at age 11, in 1987. So we could live closer to family.

I hated Az. I would have done anything to move back.

Lute Olson and Arizona basketball changed that.

In 1997 he got us a natty in my junior year in Tucson.

I’m so sad.