Sudden exit doesn't help Lute's legacy
Coach did great things at Arizona, but has left program in lurch
Julie Jacobson / APLute Olson leaves with 780 wins, five Final Four appearances and the 1997 national championship with Arizona, but has damaged his legacy with the events of the last years.
Speculation now may focus on Alzheimer’s or some similar disease. There have been reports of uncharacteristic ramblings at press conferences. Of course, during a press conference April 1, Olson criticized the media and totally ignored the job turned in by interim coach Kevin O’Neill. It was a side of Olson most Arizona fans had never seen and it created quite a stir.
The offseason was full of events that illustrate the demanding nature of Olson’s profession. There are difficulties now that didn’t exist when he began coaching 35 years ago, difficulties that have swallowed up much younger men.
Jerryd Bayless, Arizona’s star freshman last season, took the one-and-done route and entered the NBA Draft. (Arizona preseason All-American Chase Budinger is probably wishing right now he had followed the same path.) Brandon Jennings, perhaps the top prospect in the country, was supposed to replace Bayless, but he announced on July 9 that he was bypassing college to play in Italy. College basketball is still waiting to see if that will become a trend.
Just last month, Arizona self-reported to the NCAA a possible minor recruiting violation by Olson and he called it “an unfortunate and regrettable error.” Rest assured that the man who built this program certainly didn’t want to create so much chaos on his way out the door. But he did.
What’s ahead for Arizona? The program will struggle for a few seasons, especially based on the expectations established during the Olson era.
A big mess needs to be cleaned up and it starts with the uncertainty at the top. Arizona had this all worked out once before. O’Neill, named Olson’s successor at a December news conference, was left out in the cold when Olson made his return. O’Neill led Arizona to a 19-15 record and got them back to the NCAA Tournament for a 24th consecutive time. But he won’t be back. He is an assistant with the Memphis Grizzlies now.
Olson hired three new assistants in May and June after Miles Simon was fired and John Pastner took an assistant job at the University of Memphis. Arizona wanted to name Dunlap as an interim replacement Thursday, but he asked for time to think about it. The Arizona administration worked late into the night Thursday night but couldn’t reach an agreement with Dunlap, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant with the Denver Nuggets.
So this saga took another dramatic turn Friday when Russ Pennell was named the interim replacement. Pennell, 47, was the radio analyst for Arizona State last season after being dismissed as an assistant coach for the Sun Devils under Rob Evans in 2006. Dunlap and Geary will remain on his staff.
Pennell’s charge will include moving quickly to salvage the recruiting disaster that Olson has created. There are already reports that forward Mike Moser has withdrawn his commitment and top-10 prospect Abdul Gaddy told Scout.com that Olson’s retirement would impact his decision.
It’s unclear how long Pennell will be in charge. Livengood’s national search certainly isn’t going to focus on Pennell or Dunlap. But the most attractive candidates, such as Pittsburgh’s Jamie Dixon or Gonzaga’s Mark Few, simply can’t risk their reputations by interviewing with Arizona with preseason practice just a week old.
Livengood will have to decide if he wants to spend another season with an interim coach or perhaps pursue someone who is available right now and could take over after the season starts.
Jim Rosborough, a long-time Olson assistant once considered to be his successor, still works in the Arizona athletic department. San Francisco hired a coaching temp last season when Eddie Sutton came onboard at midseason. His son, Sean Sutton, relieved of his duties at Oklahoma State after last season, is available.
So is the man with the most wins in the history of college basketball. Bob Knight, who walked away from Texas Tech by his own choice in the middle of last season, recently said he would entertain thoughts of coaching again. Arizona would be just another shade of red to add to Knight’s sweater collection. But is that what they really want in Tucson?
It really is a mess. And it’s all so sad — for Olson, for the Wildcats, for a program that has a great tradition, and for college basketball.
© 2012 NBC Sports.com Reprints ![]()
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