Arizona announces date for Lute Olson tribute at McKale Center

Arizona Wildcats fans will have a chance to formally celebrate the life of former men’s basketball coach Lute Olson next month at a public tribute inside the McKale Center.

The University of Arizona will host the tribute on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 11:30 a.m. MST. The tribute will be open to the public pending local health and safety regulations.

For those who can’t attend, the university will host a live stream of the event on the Arizona Athletics Facebook page and ArizonaWildcats.com.

Olson passed away on Aug. 27, 2020. Arizona was unable to hold a tribute for the legendary coach last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Olson is considered one of the greatest college basketball coaches of his generation. During his 24 seasons at Arizona, he led the school to a 589-187 record including four Final Four appearances and one national championship in 1997.

Olson’s 781 career wins rank 14^th in NCAA Division I history.

Olson, who retired from coaching in October 2008, regularly attended Arizona games at McKale through his final years.