Before the much-anticipated start of Arizona’s 2014-15 basketball season, Lute Olson’s family has planned a notable celebration for Arizona’s Hall of Fame basketball coach.
Olson will turn 80 on Sept. 22. Hard to believe. Let’s hope he enjoys this landmark as much as he did on his previous landmark birthdays:
Olson turned 20 in 1954: That was the year he became an all-conference basketball player at Augsburg College in Minnesota.
Olson turned 30 in 1964: That was the year he coached first-year Loara High School in Anaheim, California, to the championship of the Orange League, using only sophomores and juniors.
Olson turned 40 in 1974: He coached Long Beach State to a 24-2 season.
Olson turned 50 in 1984: That was his first year at Arizona, one in which he rescued the Wildcats from a 4-24 season and put them on the path to greatness.
Olson turned 60 in 1994: He coached the Wildcats to the Final Four.
Olson turned 70 in 2004: The Wildcats won 20 games and were ranked as high as No. 3 in The Associated Press poll.
I once asked Olson about his season at Loara, 50 years ago. “I coached JV baseball, was the counselor for the sophomore class, taught Driver’s Education and drove a ’62 Rambler,” he said.
Arizona’s basketball program wasn’t much different than a ’62 Rambler when he arrived in Tucson 30 years ago.
