Pac-12 Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

2. Lute Olson – Arizona (2000-2007)

There was plenty of reason to celebrate Olson long before the turn of the century. After leading Iowa to the Final Four in 1980, he did far better during his two decades with the Wildcats. In addition to constant success in the Pac-12, his 1997 Arizona squad won the program’s first national championship. As the new century began, Olson’s team continued to be a force on the national stage.

In those seven years, Arizona was in the NCAA Tournament each season, the final of 23 straight appearances under Olson. The 2001 team lost to Duke in the national title game, Olson’s fourth Final Four with the program. Arizona would drop heartbreakers in the Elite Eight in 2003 and 2005 and are still waiting for their return trip to the Final Four. In these seven years, Arizona was 167-61 and was a dominant force on the national stage.

Olson left behind an incredible legacy with this Arizona program, one that eventual successor Sean Miller is still struggling to match. The constant success in the conference is awe-inspiring, and Olson remains responsible for the program’s most recent Final Four. The Hall of Famer did some pretty incredible work building this program (not to mention his success with Iowa), and even if we just focus on his final years, he’s still worthy of this high spot on the list.