Hall of Fame college basketball coach Lute Olson dies at 85

Lute Olson, the silver-haired college basketball coaching icon who led the University of Arizona to the 1997 national championship, died Thursday at the age of 85. 

Olson coached for 34 seasons at the Division I level at Long Beach State, Iowa and Arizona from 1973 until his retirement in 2008. He was one of the most successful coaches in college basketball history, compiling an overall record of 776 wins and 285 losses (.731).

He is tied for the most NCAA Tournament appearances as a coach (28) and fourth in NCAA tourney wins (46). Olson is one of eight coaches to lead his team to five or more Final Four appearances, and one of 11 to take two different schools to the Final Four. 

The son of family farmers, Olson was born in Mayville, North Dakota, where he first developed a love for basketball. As a senior in high school, he led Grand Forks Central to the North Dakota state championship.

Olson got his start in college coaching at Long Beach City College, moving to Division I when he took over for Jerry Tarkanian at Long Beach State for one season.

He moved to Iowa in 1974, where he built the Hawkeyes into a national power — winning a share of the Big Ten title in 1979 (with Purdue and eventual national champion Michigan State) and reaching the Final Four in 1980. After leading Iowa to a fifth consecutive NCAA tourney, Olson left to take over the job at Arizona — then a doormat in the Pac-10 conference.

ARIZONA WILDCATS:Lute Olson and Bill Frieder formed an unlikely, and lasting, friendship

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