Well done, Lute Olson

Kevin O'Neill had to go at Arizona, but frankly I'm surprised Lute Olson had the wherewithal to know it -- and the stones to do it.

O'Neill, who joined Olson's staff before this past season and then replaced him on an interim basis, has been ripping Olson behind his back. Just crushing him. How do I know this? Because I've talked to several people -- not one; several -- who were on the receiving end of O'Neill's rants against Olson. O'Neill isn't as smart as he thinks if he thought his hammerings of Olson weren't going to come out. Good grief, Kevin. This stuff always comes out.

O'Neill wasn't just the Wildcats' interim coach. He was their next coach, or at least, he thought he was. Arizona made him that verbal promise months ago, and O'Neill accepted it. Last week when Olson announced he was returning to the team for the 2008-09 season, O'Neill said he would be back at Olson's side.

Apparently not. Olson seems to have fired O'Neill, and let me tell you, the pink slip was deserved. This is a bad guy, OK? Kevin O'Neill is simply not a good dude, and Olson -- whose program has been crushed by other bad dudes masquerading as players -- was able to sniff this one out. Good for you, Lute Olson.

Shame on you, Kevin O'Neill.

Go back to the NBA, you back-stabbing leach. You don't deserve to work in college basketball ever again.

Well said! Doyel seems intent on vilifying O'Neill, which he may deserve. But one wonders how much Olson had been meddling with O'Neill during his absence. HIs statements apologizing to players and fans seem to suggest that he had no problem throwing O'Neill under the bus as soon as the Wildcats were losing. I thought about it for a minute, and I began to wonder...when was the last time that a Division 1 basketball coach took a leave of absence to handle a messy divorce? There must have been some real stinky stuff that went on with Olson and you gotta wonder about his character. I mean, the rest of the world has to keep working while going through family problems yet Olson bails out on his team for a year so he can hide from what probably would have been the media taking him to task for what he did to his wife.

That being said, O'Neill still deserved to get the axe if he berated his boss behind his back. But that doesn't make Olson a good man, he just did what a boss should do if his assistant doesnt respect him.

lute_rulez Reputation: 98 Level: Superstar Since: Nov 4, 2006	Posted on: April 1, 2008 7:37 pm Score: 91 Well done, Lute Olson Doyel, I'm stunned. I can't remember the last time you actually gave any props to Lute, and Arizona basketball as a whole. I didn't realize that O'Neil's Olson-bashing was so rampant. Apparently not. Olson seems to have fired O'Neill, and let me tell you, the pink slip was deserved. This is a bad guy, OK? Kevin O'Neill is simply not a good dude, and Olson -- whose program has been crushed by other bad dudes masquerading as players -- was able to sniff this one out. Good for you, Lute Olson. Shame on you, Kevin O'Neill. Go back to the NBA, you back-stabbing leach. You don't deserve to work in college basketball ever again. Very strong words, and very well directed. Thanks. We Arizona fans will be happy to show him the way out of Tucson, in case he gets lost. [ Reply to Comment ]
davepro14 Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Mar 17, 2007	Posted on: April 1, 2008 9:07 pm Score: 88 Well done, Lute Olson As a native midwesterner, I have always had the impression that Lute Olson was a standup guy, I don't have any hard evidence to back that up, just a gut feel. That same sentiment has never applied to Kevin O'Neill who roamed the coaches box at Northwestern and Marquette some years back. O'Neill always had a filthy mouth and left you with that sort of slimy feel. As for Doyel's latest Dribble, I don't alwyas agree with him, but he's "spot on the money" himself here. [ Reply to Comment ]
herfavstuff Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Oct 27, 2007	Posted on: April 1, 2008 9:25 pm Score: 86 Well done, Lute Olson I hope you're not trying to say that that nutty, pitiful old man is a good man? Good basketball coach? Yes, good man? Since you have your tentacles extended to catch every bit of stink, tune in to what the recently dismissed Mrs. Olson has to say about Mr. Clean. Trash is trash, regardless of whether it's disloyal coaching trash or insane marital trash. [ Reply to Comment ]
REC21 Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Dec 8, 2006	Posted on: April 1, 2008 9:48 pm Score: 92 Well done, Lute Olson Didn't seem like the players respected O'Neill and never bought into his system. Team was WAY to talented to play as poorly as they did this season. If Bayless stays... it's because he is gone! I don't think Olson is the best person ever.. but one of the best coaches over the past dozen years or so! [ Reply to Comment ]
AZCATSFAN Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 16, 2006	Posted on: April 1, 2008 9:52 pm Score: 95 Well done, Lute Olson Okay. That's a nice perspective. It would be more believable if you offered anything more than speculation. If you have sources, why not quote something, at least anonymously? If you're going to call someone obtuse, deceitful and a bad person, substantiate it. [ Reply to Comment ]
M2thaC1369 Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 16, 2006	Posted on: April 1, 2008 9:56 pm Score: 79 Well done, Lute Olson And if you're going to whine about the reporting on a blog, you should probably do some research yourself and show us all how it's done. [ Reply to Comment ]
HenrySteele4 Reputation: 94 Level: All-Star Since: Mar 4, 2007	Posted on: April 1, 2008 10:13 pm Score: 90 Well done, Lute Olson What bad things has the soon-to-be-ex-Mrs. Olson said about the Lute-ster? I wasn't aware of any negative comments that she has made. I mean, the guy didn't do himself any good with his garbled, contradictory, and obviously FALSE accounts of the whole sordid saga, and he seems to have implied that his inability to get his story straight is somehow HER fault, which understandably pissed her off, but beyond that I haven't heard anything. Then again, the guy is so old, it's understandable that he gets confused. Good luck with that next year, Cats fans! [ Reply to Comment ]
oosterbaan1989 Reputation: 95 Level: Superstar Since: Sep 28, 2007	Posted on: April 1, 2008 10:22 pm Score: 71 Well done, Lute Olson Well said! Doyel seems intent on vilifying O'Neill, which he may deserve. But one wonders how much Olson had been meddling with O'Neill during his absence. HIs statements apologizing to players and fans seem to suggest that he had no problem throwing O'Neill under the bus as soon as the Wildcats were losing. I thought about it for a minute, and I began to wonder...when was the last time that a Division 1 basketball coach took a leave of absence to handle a messy divorce? There must have been some real stinky stuff that went on with Olson and you gotta wonder about his character. I mean, the rest of the world has to keep working while going through family problems yet Olson bails out on his team for a year so he can hide from what probably would have been the media taking him to task for what he did to his wife. That being said, O'Neill still deserved to get the axe if he berated his boss behind his back. But that doesn't make Olson a good man, he just did what a boss should do if his assistant doesnt respect him. [ Reply to Comment ]
Cubsfan26 Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 24, 2006	Posted on: April 1, 2008 10:57 pm Score: 94 Well done, Lute Olson Atta boy, Lute! I would love to have my son play for him in any program he's heading. The second Mrs. has something negative to say? I haven't heard that but it wouldn't surprise me. I did read he wanted out and she did not. It's possible he just couldn't continue with marriage #2 after so many loving years with #1 Mrs. Olson. Nothing really happens or is anyone's fault, it's just that the 2nd marriage can't replace the first one that lasted decades. Ask Paul McCartney... If this story is true and he said all those negative things about the hand that lifted and fed him, looks like Lute has to cut his losses in the coaching relationship, too. So long, Kevin. [ Reply to Comment ]
Venom1971 Reputation: 91 Level: All-Star Since: Feb 25, 2008	Posted on: April 1, 2008 11:09 pm Score: 63 Well done, Lute Olson Kudos to Lute Olson for being the great man and coach that he is.Take a look at how many consecutive years Arizona has been to the NCAA tourney.I am very pleased with how Olson handled this situation. [ Reply to Comment ]

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