So What's The Outcome Of Lute Olson's Resignation?

This is a very bad time for any basketball team to lose it's head coach.  It's much worse when that head coach is a Hall of Fame coach who also was absent last year for the entire season.

The results from Olson's leave of absence last year is that freshman phenom Jerryd Bayless left for the NBA after one season.  Chase Budinger, a sophomore wing, seriously considered doing the same and left his name in the NBA draft until the last possible 30 minutes.  Nic Wise, Arizona's point guard considered transferring and so did Jamelle Horne.

It's rumored that Olson has resigned and that Mike Dunlap will take over as head coach while a national search is conducted for a replacement for Olson.  How does one replace 30+ years of experience, a tremendous ability to recruit, a Hall of Fame induction, and several national COY awards?  We all watched as UCLA tried for years to successfully replace John R. Wooden, and it seems that it took over 20 years to do that.  I don't know that AZ fans want to wait that long.

Every years there have been countless threads on message boards titled, "Who will replace Lute?"  I've heard a number of names bantered around.  For some time the big name we heard was Kelvin Sampson.  I don't think we'll hear that one again.  Now the popular names are Mark Few, Tom Izzo, John Calipari or Rick Pitino.  I can't say I'd mind any one of the four, and I can't imagine any one of the four leaving their current locations.

One thing is for sure.  If Arizona does a good job in the national search, there should be a fine coach out there who would like to come in and dust off an elite program and keep it right on ticking.  There was a point in time when Arizona had a streak of 80+ home wins.  One point guard played four years at AZ and never lost a home game.  Arizona has a Wooden Award winner in Sean Elliott.  Sean Elliott, Damon Stoudamire, Mike Bibby, Brian Williams (Bison Dele), Jason Terry, Richard Jefferson......all lottery picks and I may have forgotten a few because AZ produced a bunch. 

Abdul Gaddy, Solomon Hill and Mike Moser might want to consider keeping their verbal commitments to Arizona.  They might just find an excellent coach waiting to welcome them to campus in 2009.