Lute Olson/Arizona Mess Getting Worse

by bluestreet on Apr 24, 2008 8:54 AM PDT

Allegations that Lute Olson improperly transferred all the money from a financial account he shared with his estranged wife, combined with a dispute over a prenuptial agreement, potentially could turn the Arizona basketball coach's divorce into a nasty battle.

Olson, who took a leave of absence this past season, last week was ordered to appear May 7 before Judge Sarah Simmons of Pima County Superior Court after he allegedly transferred the couple's money into his personal account, according to court records.

The transfer of funds from a Charles Schwab account came to light earlier this month, court records say, although Olson is accused of moving the money Dec. 7, a day after he filed for divorce from Christine Olson and the same day he asked the a University of Arizona for an indefinite leave of absence.

The amount of the money was not disclosed, and the transfer apparently occurred because payments from apparel-giant Nike were being made to the joint account, court records show.

Olson, 73, received $500,000 from Nike in 2006-07, the most recent figure available, as part of the $714,000 in outside income he receives, according to the University of Arizona. The school also pays him a base salary of nearly $738,000.

Kathleen McCarthy, an attorney for Christine Olson, wrote in a court pleading that the coach's "conduct was obviously intentional, it is outrageous and his actions put him in contempt of court."

McCarthy wrote that a preliminary injunction barred each side from transferring any "joint, common or community property."

Calls to the coach, who was recruiting, and to his attorney were not returned.

That is not the only cluste*(&^%$ Arizona program dealing with. They are also trying to work through the mess of O'Neil's contract.

I feel bad for Lute's personal life, but I don't feel sorry for Zona's basketball program.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

Tweet Comment 25 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Wow, this thing is just a hell of a mess

I was talking to some U of A guys recently, and honestly, no one knows what the fuck is going on there. Lute's pissed at O'Neill, in this ridiculous divorce battle, is probably losing his three best players... the list goes on.

That being said, it's still Lute, and if you think he's washed up, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe a touch battier than before but... He's not the Lute of ten years ago, but he's certainly still a force to be reckoned with.

by seattlebruin07 on Apr 24, 2008 9:28 AM PDT reply actions

rofl

You keep on thinking Lute is "certainly still a force to be reckoned with."

I hope you post that on Arizona forums as a UCLA fan . I love Lute at Arizona and I want this old has been to stay there and complete the process of flushing that white trash program down the toilet. That way no one will want to come in and take over his mess.

'certainly still a force to be reckoned with"! LMAO.

by bluestreet on Apr 24, 2008 9:36 AM PDT up reply actions

Sorry =(

Sorry, I need to jump on the anti-Lute bandwagon. Hold up... JUMP K, I'm on.

Lute is washed up! It's been coming for years, and you could see it happening right in front of your eyes when Salim Stoudamire and Mildcats forgot how to shoot against Illinois! Stupid Lute, recruiting players like Bayless and Jennings who will likely only stay one year!

JUMPS OFF

Like I said in my above post, he's not the same Lute he was ten years ago. He's a touch more insane now, and recruiting isn't anywhere near the Gardner/Wright/Arenas/Jefferson/Woods teams he had in the late 90's/early 00's. Given that you root for UCLA, it's very ironic that you don't see a program with a strong basketball tradition rising from mediocrity with a change and a little luck. Is U of A going to keep up with UCLA in the next ten years? Unlikely, but hey, anything is possible. The point is don't count Lute out. Don't ever count someone with a track record as extensive as his out, even if he's gone completely over the cliff.

Also, Lute could earn Arizona the death penalty and it would STILL be one of the best jobs in the nation when it opened. I'll be honest though - I'd be surprised if they didn't start over when he leaves and hire someone a little younger to try and build a new legacy.

As long as Arizona continues to attract talented players (even defensively challenged ones), they are very capable of being a good team - certainly one of the more dangerous ones in the conference. The fact that we've really had their number the past three years doesn't really matter.

by seattlebruin07 on Apr 24, 2008 10:07 AM PDT up reply actions

Delusional

I know you are kind of new here. But you are making yourself look really silly now:

Arizona had lot more talent than UCLA as recently as 06-07. Yet Howland ran circles around Lute. Lute can bring in whoever he wants but the lack of discipline and defense is not going to work anymore.

Also as street alluded to above Lute built his reputation in late 90s/early this decade thanks to the incompetence of Steve Lavin, which is why he was Lavo's biggest defender in face of his UCLA critics (like us).

Lute is a "has been." He is "washed up." And he is irrelevant. And it doesn't matter if he keeps getting recuits like CBud (who he compared to Jordan) because they have no clue how to play defense.

But by all means you keep arguing Lute is still relevant and not washed up. Just do it over at some Arizona message board. Don't bring that BS over here. Thanks.

by Nestor on Apr 24, 2008 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions

Yep

Apparently Lute hasn't watched the Pac 10 recently. He still thinks he'll get all these high-flying street ball guys to score 120 points a game and all will be well. That's not going to happen. The league has changed and the players have changed. Paul Westhead showed relatively early that an all offense - no defense approach wouldn't work, but that doesn't bother Lute.

Lute is delusional, in my opinion. He doesn't see what defense does nothwithstanding the clinics he's had delivered to him by Coach Howland.

by Fox 71 on Apr 24, 2008 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions

Nestor

I think I mis-spoke in my earlier arguments and made a stronger case for Arizona than I intended to.

I respect your work a lot - but I don't think it's fair to simply overlook Lute. I'm certainly not arguing that Lute is the same Lute that won the title and got to the 00/01 title game (whichever it was).

I'm not saying that Lute is a better coach than Ben. Far from it. I guess I'm trying to espouse "respect your adversaries" more than anything else. Plus, I firmly believe that the groundwork for the 05-07 collapse lay in Lute's 1. bad luck with recruiting (having a few players not pan out, [not that it's not Lute's fault for not scouting better, but honestly, Shakur was pretty can't miss coming out of Philly] losing Ebi to the NBA) and 2. personal life (which it looks like he hasn't gotten cleaned up yet, but next season may be a whole different story). And no, I don't think the lack of defense of every U of A team since the runners-up has been helpful.

I'm not saying that Arizona is going to the be Pac Ten champs next year or any other year that Ben is our head coach. Perhaps I mis-stated my intent. And I absolutely agree that a large part of Lute's legacy was built on the poor quality of other traditionally strong West Coast programs. Now that I think about it, the way I phrased was to seem as if Lute is going to come back and be some triumphant conquering hero, which is very unlikely. My main was to be that we should not count Arizona out, especially with someone like Lute at the helm who might have one more run left in him.

In regards to the quote you posted, it sounds as if I am implying that Arizona is a dangerous team for a conference crown, etc. What I meant is that with that kind of talent in Tuscon, they're the quintessential "any given day" team - if a Jennings or a Bayless or even a CBud catches on fire, they're a dangerous team in that sense.

I hope I'm not coming off as an Arizona fan - I'm simply trying to come off as a little more cautious regarding someone who I think has been a very good coach and established a lasting legacy in the desert. I just don't think we should entirely disregard them - perhaps "force to be reckoned with" was too strong. Perhaps it should have been "don't sleep on U of A - with Lute it's possible they could have a run in them somewhere."

by seattlebruin07 on Apr 24, 2008 10:43 AM PDT up reply actions

And it amused me to read the write up

when the Dawgs still thought they were getting Jrue ;)

by seattlebruin07 on Apr 24, 2008 10:56 AM PDT up reply actions

But I thought Lute was classy?

that's what the media keeps saying.

The real question is: WTF is Lute spending his money on? The guy has been rumored to be in financial difficulty for years, yet makes a 7 figure salary. WTF is he doing with all that money?

"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"

by silverlakebruin on Apr 24, 2008 9:34 AM PDT reply actions

Remember

All the comparisons MSM was making between Lute and Wooden? Lute would never be where he is today if Steve Lavin wasn't around.

by bluestreet on Apr 24, 2008 9:40 AM PDT up reply actions

Lute is just like John Wooden

in the sense that they both have one 'n' in their last names and coached basketball. Beyond that? You got me.

by seattlebruin07 on Apr 24, 2008 10:50 AM PDT up reply actions

Hookers or blow?

Crazy old man making a ridiculous salary in financial difficulty?

Questioning where the money went?

Hookers and blow.

Sure, I have no basis in fact for thinking this. But I can dream, can't I? I mean, wouldn't a Lute mugshot be precious?

But then again, keeping the insane old man around (who couldn't hold Wooden's jock in his wildest dreams) to run the Mildcats further in the ground might be a good thing.

by norcald503 on Apr 25, 2008 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions

Well, well, well...........

Save your ammo. Lute is just a skeleton of his past, heavily saddled by his personal and professional woes to make another run in the conference.

At the age of 75, he can do no harm.

by Htse005 on Apr 25, 2008 11:40 AM PDT up reply actions

Probably both.....

and then he jusr spent the rest of it on trivial stuff.

by artybruin on Apr 25, 2008 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Lute has made a mistake...

Instead of going out on top, Lute is going down the toilet. His wife was suppose to be a top contributor to one of the political parties so she has big money, so why is she so hot on his movement of joint funds and the pre-nup agreement? Why does he even place Nike funds in a joint account? This thing with O'Neill is his downfall as a coach. He hires the guy, then gets him fired and truly had nothing good to say about him. He wants to take back the program and tells about the good times with Buddinger, Jennings and Bayliss, now B & B will probably leave. Jennings is one and done, so now Lute comes back and works his magic to get to 14-14. Not a great way to leave a legacy. The old stayed too long scenario.

by whittier71 on Apr 24, 2008 10:26 AM PDT reply actions

Sometimes, just sometimes my friend

please look beyond the animosities emanated from our hoops rivalry, especially accentuated by those Lavin years when Lute's team deliriously battered us at McKale. I couldn't mentally handle it either, not when Lavin further fueled Mckale's frenzy by his inept, futile coaching behavior on top of our players' dazed, abandoned body language.

But this is a 75 year old, wearied, stubbornly feisty man facing some horrendously painful fallouts from missteps in his personal life. You and I are not in his shoes to actually experience, let alone understand, how that blissful marriage, supposedly to overcome the agony and rejuvenate him from his first wife's cancer death, would ever descend into such nightmarish state. In his defense on this matter ( oh my, don't hurl verbal grenades now ) Lute certainly didn't personally blame UCLA for it although, and I must also emphasize it here, his inexplicably incourteous, sour comments regarding UCLA's ascendancy since Howland came rankled us. What an a_ _hole thing to say.

Foolish, uncalled for, and such poor loser talk from a Hall of Fame, NCAA championship coach indeed.

Trying to rebuild a tattered, demoralized basketball program while righting one's own domestic turmoils simultaneously can be such unimaginable horrors even if he survives. So just ease up on our criticisms and harsh words. Lute won't likely cause UCLA any harm and the Wildcats, defanged, leaderless will just be a sidenote in the conference for the longest time.

by Htse005 on Apr 24, 2008 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions

What I don't get about Arizona

Yes, Lute's peak was when Lavin was coaching, but Arizona's offense then was a thing to behold. The screens, the ball movement, the high/low. All of it amazing to watch. And frustrating that our Bruins could not run anything remotely like it.

And now...sure I expect them not to be able to run their stuff when they face us, our D is able to knock some of the best teams out of their rhythm.

But watch Arizona play anyone in the Pac 10. Against other teams that don't have a defense as good as ours. Their half court sets are pitiful in comparison to what they used to run.

Is it better defense throughout the conference? Perhaps, but it seems to me they don't run an offense even close to when they were at their peak.

by Free the 16 on Apr 24, 2008 4:45 PM PDT reply actions

who ran a worse offense?

Lavin or Dorrell?

Discuss....

"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"

by silverlakebruin on Apr 24, 2008 4:49 PM PDT up reply actions

Dorrell

at least they didn't know what play Lavin was going to run

by seattlebruin07 on Apr 24, 2008 7:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Between the two of them, if you asked me

Dorell is Dullard, rather aptly named by LA Times' TJ Simers. Never ready for headcoaching except to carry clipboards & headphones etc for the real one in charge. So sad Carnesale ever concocted this up and coming, minority, novice headcoach scheme.

Lavin is simply a fraud, period. He coached Pauley down the toilet, then made off with a handsome severance pay. What a charmed life for someone only capable of overseeing pickup games in some commmunity recreational centers on the Westside.

I'll tell you his worst, most flagrant, despicable insult to all Pauley fans. That's his courtside demeanor of juvenile cheerleading & hand clappings, flailing arms, plus those loud, disdainful expressions all in the name of active coaching in his own mind. To this day nobody bought it, not even those young, precocious boys nearby the bench waiting to mop the floor.

Lavin's naive, positive self denial contrasts well with Farmer's stoic, passive acceptance of his team's fate. Back then, TV camera regularly caught his anxious eyes and nervous finger tapping of his laps, especially those last few games before some sparse, strangely subdued crowds in Pauley.

by Htse005 on Apr 24, 2008 7:59 PM PDT up reply actions

Who are you talking about?

I don't recognize those names. And I can't bring myself to type those names.

by Fox 71 on Apr 24, 2008 7:38 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't get

the bad blood between Olson and O'Neil. It looked like O'Neil was being the good soldier and saying all the right things re: Olson still being in charge when he came back, and wanting to stay on as an assistant. Next thing you know, he's on the outs. Any info?

"Make each day your masterpiece" - JRW

by UCLAMD89 on Apr 24, 2008 9:17 PM PDT reply actions

No info - just an assumption

To paraphrase the great Jim Healy, "Lute Olson has, uh, lost it."

by Fox 71 on Apr 25, 2008 4:34 AM PDT up reply actions

Agree with Fox..

..and I think it might be a little jealousy on "Loot the Coot's" part. (..can't see why.)

I do not contend that O'Neil is a bad coach -- just not great. But he is eminently like-able and, as you characterize, a good troop. I thought stopping the game and vehemently lecturing the home fans on throwing water bottles (against USC?) was a classy thing to do. Compare and contrast, boys and girls, with the hefty denials by the Washington coaching and athletic staff after AA2 took the inbound pass in the kisser or the OU staff's non-apology for their fans savaging KL during his visit to Mac Court.

Wherever O'Neil ends up, I'll wish him the best and -- maybe -- getting himself out of Tucson and away from that old coot will be just what he needs.

God, it's great to be a Bruin!

by whp68 on Apr 25, 2008 12:05 PM PDT up reply actions