Olson’s imminent retirement stuns Kruger, Tarkanian

By Rob Miech

Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008 | 1:15 p.m.

UNLV basketball coach Lon Kruger saw and heard the reports Thursday of Lute Olson’s imminent retirement from Arizona.

The news came from Dick Vitale of ESPN and a source in Tucson, Ariz., confirmed it for the Sun.

“He’s just one of the winningest coaches of all time, a guy who has had success wherever he’s been, from Iowa to Arizona," Kruger said. “He has an unbelievable track record; 24 NCAA appearances in a row, a bunch of conference championships and the national championship in 1997.

"He’s always been very cordial and very professional.”

Olson and the Wildcats had been scheduled to play UNLV in the Thomas & Mack Center on Dec. 20.

“You always knew he’d have athletic teams,” Kruger said. “They were very well prepared. They were going to attack you all the time. That’s why, I think, he’s always been successful.”

Mike Dunlap, whom Olson hired as the Wildcats’ associate head coach on May 15, will take over as coach, according to reports.

Dunlap, 50, was an assistant with the Denver Nuggets for the past two seasons. He made his name at Division-II Metro State in Denver. Hall of Fame coach Pete Newell always talked about Dunlap in glowing terms, as one of the most underrated coaches in the country.

The Roadrunners were 248-50, winning two national championships, in nine seasons under Dunlap.

Every summer in San Diego, former UNLV boss Jerry Tarkanian saw Olson. Usually, that happened at Del Mar Racetrack, in a weekly gathering of former and current hoops coaches.

“But I didn’t see him this summer,” Tarkanian said. “I don’t know what to say. I talked to some of his friends, and it sounded like he was ready to go for the season.

“But he did some strange things at the end of his career. I don’t know what happened to him. He fired all of his assistants. One of them is very, very bitter to this day.”

Olson, 74, did not run practice Wednesday. Assistant coach Reggie Geary said he had laryngitis.

“He did a great job at Arizona,” Tarkanian said. “He made them into a national power. I always respect the fact that he played tough teams. He didn’t back away from tough teams.

“He’s one of the few coaches who would do that.”