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Jan.
27, 2010
CollegeInsider.com establishes the Lute Olson
National Player of the Year Award
 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).
The 2010 Lute Olson National Player of the Year
Award will presented on April 2 at the Final Four in
Indianapolis, IN.
LUTE
OLSON
AWARD SELECTION COMMITTEE
|
Jeff Barber |
Liberty University |
|
Karl Benson |
Western Athletic Conference |
|
Ron Bertovich |
Colonial Athletic Association |
|
Rick Boyages |
Big Ten Conference |
|
Max Casanova |
Fox College Sports |
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Tom Crean |
Indiana University |
|
Joe Dwyer |
CollegeInsider.com |
|
Mike Ellis |
Virginia Commonwealth University |
|
Jim Harrick |
Former UCLA Head Coach |
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Jordan Hill |
New York Knicks |
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Jay John |
University of California Berkley |
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Andre Iguodala |
Philadelphia 76ers |
|
Ken Kavanaugh |
Florida Gulf Coast University |
|
Steve Kerr |
Phoenix Suns |
|
Eric Lautenbach |
Nike |
|
Steve Lavin |
ESPN |
|
Angela Lento |
CollegeInsider.com |
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Todd Lickliter |
University of Iowa |
|
Jim Livengood |
University of Nevada Las Vegas |
|
Lute Olson |
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member |
|
Richard Paige |
University of Arizona |
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Josh Pastner |
Memphis University |
|
Russ Pennell |
Grand Canyon University |
|
Lorenzo Romar |
University of Washington |
|
Rob Spear |
University of Idaho |
|
Damon Stoudamire |
Memphis Grizzlies |
|
Scott Thompson |
University of Arizona |
|
Jason Terry |
Dallas Mavericks |
|
Larry Williams |
University of Portland |
|
Jamie Zaninovich |
West Coast Conference |
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