Lute Olson leaving Arizona?
It isn’t confirmed yet but ESPN is reporting that Lute Olson is on his way out in Arizona. The story could revolve around a health problem but Olson was seen at practice Tuesday and was in great spirits. More on the story will come out today and tomorrow of course but this can’t be good for the program in Tucson.
Imagine being recruited by Arizona and not really knowing who the head coach would be. Olson has shown the ability to really develop guards and has brought a bunch of players to the NBA. We’ve seen the Stoudamire’s, Sean Elliott, Iguodala, Channing Frye, Gilbert Arenas, Jason Terry, Richard Jefferson…the list goes on and on. The guy has really brought excellent players into his program and helped them achieve their dream of being a pro so you can see that he hasn’t had a hard time getting kids in. The situation puts Arizona in a bit of a pickle because this same thing happened last year.
Olson is a hall of fame coach and is being handled with kid gloves right now. If he decides not to quit then Arizona is really on the spot because college coaches need stability because that brings recruiting success. Coaches get contract extensions all the time, if for anything, to breed stability in the program. How often do you see a coach who already has a 7 year deal get an extra one thrown on there? Every team that is recruiting against Arizona is going to use this to their advantage and each kid has to listen. The Arizona job, when it comes available, is going to be one of the most highly sought after jobs in the country. Only a handful of coaches wouldn’t be interested in the position and it will be a big deal. Arizona needs Lute to decide whether he is going to stay or go and stick to it or they are just better off letting him go. If they don’t you can pencil them in at the bottom of the PAC 10 soon right next to Oregon St.
