On Thursday, Arizona unveiled the newest addition to the McKale Center: A statue of legendary head coach Lute Olson.
Olson is a Hall Of Famer that spent 24 years as the head coach of the Wildcats, an era that spanned from 1983 through 2007. In the statue, he is holding the 1997 NCAA Championship trophy:
There it is!!! The statue of Coach Lute Olson. #Tucson #BearDown pic.twitter.com/tL8RHvqjs9
— Kevin Adger (@K_Adger_TNN) April 13, 2018
“He forever changed the trajectory and perception of our athletics department,” Dave Heeke, Arizona’s Director of Athletics, said of Olson, who led the Wildcats to four Final Four in his 24 years. “His legendary status is worthy of this honor.”