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ABOUT THE AWARD
Jan. 27,
2010
BOSTON (MA) -- CollegeInsider.com will pay tribute to former
Arizona and Iowa head coach Lute Olson with the creation of the
Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award.
“Coach Olson has always emphasized the team concept and this
award will recognize an outstanding player that took his team to
greater heights,” says Joe Dwyer, co-founder of
CollegeInsider.com. “Coach Olson has always been a good friend
to CollegeInsider.com so we are obviously very excited about the
creation of this annual award.”
Olson won 780 games in 34 seasons as a head coach, 24 of which
were spent at the University of Arizona. During that stretch he
led the Wildcats to 11 Pac-10 Conference titles, 23 consecutive
NCAA Tournaments, four Final Four appearances and a National
Championship in 1997.
Olson inherited a program that was 4-24 prior to his arrival in
1983. He would turn Arizona into a National power.
“I am honored to have an outstanding college basketball player
recognized as the Lute Olson Player of the Year,” says Olson. “I
look forward to working with the voting panel to select a player
who is not only a valuable member of his team but is also an
individual with great character and commitment that extends
beyond the basketball court.”
At Arizona alone, 20 of Olson’s players earned a total of 61
All-America accolades. Additionally, Arizona players have earned
all-Pacific-10 Conference honors 47 times since 1984. He has
produced 53 NBA Draft picks, including 32 at Arizona. No school
in the Pac-10 has produced as many first round picks in the last
25 years than Arizona's 14. Since the NBA Draft was shortened to
two rounds in 1989, Arizona leads the nation with 31 total
selections. Fourteen of those selections were first-rounders,
including ten Lottery Picks.
While well-known for his accomplishments at Arizona, Olson had
established himself as a winner long before turning around the
fortunes of U of A.
After graduating from Augsburg College (Minnesota) in 1956,
Olson had five years of prep coaching in Minnesota before moving
west where he coached for six years in Anaheim and Huntington
Beach, Calif., high schools.
From there he moved on to Long Beach City College where he won
three league titles and the 1971 state junior college crown. He
was the conference coach of the year in three of his four
seasons. Olson followed that with a one-year stint as the head
coach at Long Beach State (1973-74), where he led the 49ers to a
24-2 record. One year later he was hired as the head coach at
the University of Iowa.
Olson spent nine seasons in Iowa City (1975-1983). He took the
Hawkeyes to the NCAA five straight times including a Final Four
trip in 1980 and left as the then-winningest coach in school
history (168-90).
Olson is one of just 25 head coaches in NCAA history to win 700
or more games (all divisions). He owns a winning percentage of
.736 and is the all-time winningest coach in Arizona history
with 589-187 record (.759). He was named Pac-10 Coach of the
Year seven times. Olson also has guided Arizona to 20
consecutive 20-win seasons, and is one of only three coaches in
NCAA history to record 29 or more 20-win seasons.
In 2002 Olson was selected for enshrinement into the Naismith
Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
“This a well-deserved honor for Lute,” says former Georgia head
coach Hugh Durham. “Lute accomplished so much during his career
and he coached many great players so it’s terrific to see a
National Player of the Year Award in his name."
The Lute Olson Award will be presented annually to the nation’s
top Division I player who has played at least two seasons with
his respective team. Freshmen and first-year transfers are not
eligible.
The 30-member voting panel, includes Tom Crean (Indiana), Jordan
Hill (New York Knicks), Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers),
Steve Kerr (Phoenix Suns), Todd Lickliter (Iowa), Jim Livengood
(UNLV), Josh Pastner (Memphis), Lorenzo Romar (Washington),
Damon Stoudamire (Memphis Grizzlies) and Jason Terry (Dallas
Mavericks).
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