Few men knew Lute Olson better behind the scenes than Jim Livengood.
As Arizona's athletic director from January 1994 to December 2009, Livengood witnessed what made Olson an iconic basketball figure and a beloved friend to Tucson.
The Star spoke with Livengood about Olson's death, his legacy and memorable behind-the-scenes moments.
The conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity. Livengood's full interview can be found on The Wildcast podcast, which you can listen to below:
How have the last two weeks been for you, hearing the news about Lute and processing it?
A:ย "It has been a hard time. I found out through a number of things that Kelly (Olson), his wife, but also some other people. My son-in-law (Jack Murphy) is an associate head basketball coach at Arizona. I first met Lute over 35 years ago when I was an associate athletic director at Washington State back in the dayโฆ so, a very emotional time.
"I was lucky enough to be on a Zoom call with about 100 people, former players and coaches, just memorializing and talking about Lute."
Why do you think the Tucson community gravitated towards him in the basketball program, because it had to do with more than just winning right?
A:ย "It's so much more than just winning. I think that the thing that gravitated more here is that Lute got so involved so early with the community and a huge part of that was because of Bobbi (Olson). In many ways this will shock people, but Lute was a very private person. Yet you would never know that because he was so gracious with regards to people and meeting groups and young people in terms of autographs."
Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood, right, smiles at Lute Olson prior to their taping of the Lute Olson Show at McMahon's Steakhouse on March 11, 2003. Photo by David Sanders / Arizona Daily Star
Whatโs an off-court memory of Lute Olson that stands out to you?
A:ย "In Charlotte, North Carolina for the Final Four in 1994, I'll never forget it. My kids still talk about it as we're all there in Charlotte.
"We've been walking around during that day. And it's probably maybe six o'clock, maybe 6:30. And there's a knock at our door at the hotel. My daughter answers, and it's Lute. And Lute says, โHey, is your dad here?โ And Michelle says, โYes heโs right hereโ. So he says, โJim, do you guys have any plans tonight?โ And I said we were going to do just something fast. He says โBobbi and I want you to come with us to dinner.โ
"That seems like 100 years ago, but the most gracious thing. I'm the new guy. I'd been in Arizona for four months. There are 100-plus stories I could give you off the court like that."
What was the feeling like after winning the 1997 national championship game for Lute and yourself?
A:ย "It was more than amazing, more than gratifying. The most important thing is, so many people have talked about Final Fours in terms of once you get to the Final Four, then all the pressures off. And that's not necessarily true.
"After the Kentucky game, it was just elation because again, it is such a major thing to not just go to the Final Four, but to win the national championship. To be the champions. You almost pinch yourself every five minutes. And you wanted to say out loud. โIs this real? Am I dreaming this? Was it a dream?โ But it's real. And then of course, there's no sleeping.
"And with the suite we had at the hotel, Lute and Bobbi's and (my wife) Linda's and mine, had a door between them so we could open them which turned into an all night party after the championship game."
1. March 31, 1997: Arizona 84, Kentucky 79, overtime, 1997 national championship game at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. It was Arizonaโs third win over a No. 1 seed in 11 days, still the only time a team has defeated three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
As an AD at the time, can you clear up the misconceptions surrounding Luteโs leave of absence in 2007-08?
A: "We were sitting in my box at a football game, I remember Lute saying towards the end of the fourth quarter saying, โHey, Jim, can we get together after the game for a minute?โ I said sure, absolutely. And he said, โI need to take some time, I need to have a leave of absence.โ And of course my thing was,โ Lute, whatever you need to do.โ And then we got into more details later. Thereโs so much misinformation out there. I was there, so this was pretty accurate of it."
Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood talks about the retirement of Arizona men's basketball coach Lute Olson, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008, in Tucson, Ariz. Livengood did not designate a successor โ even on an interim basis. He said a national search would begin soon. (AP Photo/Arizona Daily Star, Benjie Sanders)
Lute seemed like he was the ambassador of Tucson, why is that?
A: "He was, and in many ways still is and always will be. Everybody knew him. Everybody liked him. Everybody knew he was a competitor. Many people never say Tucson without Lute Olson or say Lute Olson without saying Tucson. It's a connection; itโs there."
