Olson, "Lute" (Robert Luther)
Basketball
b. Sept. 22, 1934, Mayville, ND
Olson played baseball, basketball, and football at Augsburg College in Minnesota. After graduating in 1956, he coached high school and junior college basketball until 1974, when he took over at Long Beach State College and had a 24-2 record in his one season there. He then went to the University of Iowa.
He was named coach of the year in 1980, when he guided Iowa to the final four in the NCAA tournament. In nine seasons at Iowa, he had a 167-91 record with six seasons of 20 or more victories. Olson moved to the University of Arizona in 1984 and quickly built a winning program.
After an 11-17 record in his first season at Arizona, he has coached the Wildcats to 19 seasons with 20 or more victories, 20 straight NCAA tournament appearances, and four trips to the Final Four. Arizona won the NCAA championship in 1997.
Olson is one of only five coaches to have 26 seasons with 20 or more victories, one of eight who have gone to the Final Four five or more times, and one of 11 who have guided two different schools to the Final Four.
Through the 2003-04 season, Olson had a career record of 519 wins and 173 losses at Arizona and a 711-249 record overall for a .741 winning percentage.
