2001 Legends of Coaching Award Recipient
Lute Olson
University of Arizona
Lute Olson received the John R. Wooden Award “Legends of Coaching” honor in 2001. Whether it’s the 1997 national championship, four Final Four appearances, 21 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, 11 Pacific-10 Conference titles, or the nation’s best winning percentage over the past 18 seasons, basketball excellence and the University of Arizona go hand-in-hand. Olson, now in his fourth decade as a head coach, also has a title that befits those monumental accomplishments – Hall of Famer – as he was selected for enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on June 5, 2002. In a career full of individual and team accolades, this honor ranks among the best.