College basketball lost a legend Thursday night. Former Iowa and Arizona Coach Lute Olson had been in hospice care in recent days with ongoing health ailments. Olson reportedly suffered a stroke in 2007 that had gone undiagnosed before leading to further heart problems that led to his abrupt retirement following that season. In February of last year, Olson suffered yet another stroke. Thursday, he passed away at the age of 85.
Olson, a native of North Dakota, spent nine seasons as head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes. While he’s best known for his time at the University of Arizona, between 1974 and 1983 Olson led Iowa to a 165-95 record with 5 NCAA Tournament appearances, a Big Ten Championship, a Sweet Sixteen and one of just three Final Four appearances in school history.