Arizona Wildcat great Steve Kerr among those receiving honorary degrees at UofA commencement

After Arizona held its student-athlete convocation Thursday, the school’s athletic ties will be well-represented in Friday’s commencement at Arizona Stadium.

Not only is the commencement speaker Craig T. Nelson, the actor known for an Emmy-winning role in the 1990s TV series “Coach,” but he and former UA basketball standout Steve Kerr will be among those in attendance to receive honorary graduate degrees.

So will Kerr’s mother, Ann-Zwicker Kerr-Adams, as well as UA athletics-and-all-around benefactor Humberto Lopez.

Now the coach of the Golden State Warriors and the USA Basketball senior team, Kerr is known for speaking out on social issues and his philanthropy, including a $1 million donation to UA for renovations at McKale Center, $250,000 to fund college scholarships for low-income students in California’s East Bay and various donations toward disaster relief, mental health and children’s welfare.

Kerr will be given an honorary doctorate in Humanities while his mother will receive a doctor of Humane Letters. Kerr-Adams has worked in academia in Southern California and the Middle East with a mission to foster understanding between diverse cultures, since her husband was assassinated in 1984 in Lebanon while serving as president of the American University of Beirut.

Lopez, well known for his contributions to UA and Tucson organizations, will also receive a doctorate of Human Letters while Nelson will receive an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts.

UA is also giving an honorary doctorate of science to Bruce Taylor, CEO of Taylor Farms and a benefactor to UA and various Arizona based organizations, while Richardo Jasso, who has spent decades working to advance Hispanic causes, will receive a doctor of Humane Letters.

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During Arizona’s student-athlete convocation Thursday morning, valedictorians Maya Benita (women’s golf) and Taylor Raskin (gymnastics) gave speeches. Arizona had a total of 108 student-athlete graduates, including three who picked up academic all-American honors: Kyle Ostendorp (football), Pelle Larsson (men’s basketball) and Delaney Schnell (women’s swimming and diving).

Larsson, who is scheduled to participate in the NBA Combine next week in Chicago, attended the ceremony Thursday along with fellow former teammates Grant Weitman and Tautvilas Tubelis.

Former UA center Oumar Ballo, who is transferring to Indiana for a fifth season of college basketball, was not present at the convocation but earned a degree in general studies with a focus on sports and society.

Larsson and Weitman earned bachelor’s degrees in business administration, while Tubelis graduated with a degree in communications.

Three former UA athletes also earned their degrees through the “Cats Forever” program, which offers financial and academic assistance for former athletes to return to school later in life: Colton Moore (baseball), Konnor Wade (baseball) and Antoine Singfield (football).

While Nelson’s attachment to athletics may be fictional, his bond with UA and its theatre program is not. The decorated actor played a role in the renovations of UA’s Marroney Theatre, which now has a stage named after him.

“Craig T. Nelson’s career embodies the determination and exploration that we hope to inspire in all our graduates,” UA president Robert C. Robbins said in a statement. “Speaking from his experience – both in life and as a Wildcat – Nelson will urge graduates to make bold decisions as they start their careers.

“Many of our 2024 graduates were unable to have a proper high school graduation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and I can think of no better person to give these graduates the outstanding send-off they deserve.”