Peter DeLuca Tucson Real Estate

Basketball coach, 74, announces his retirement after 24 seasons at the University of Arizona … What Arizona accomplished under Olson may not be replicated again in the desert.

The Wildcats won only one conference title in 29 seasons before Olson arrived in Tucson from Iowa in 1983.

Olson would post a record of 589-187 in 24 seasons and lead Arizona to the 1997 NCAA title and four Final Fours, the most recent in 2001.

Mike Bibby, Sean Elliott, Luke Walton and Richard Jefferson are among the many players who starred at Arizona under Olson, who forwarded 13 first-round picks to the NBA.

Arizona’s 1997 run to the NCAA title was as improbable as it was exciting. The Wildcats finished fifth in the Pac-10 that year yet, as a fourth-seeded team, stunned No.1 Kansas in the Southeast regional semifinals in Birmingham.

Led by Miles Simon and Bibby, Arizona also defeated top-seeded North Carolina in the national semifinals and top-seeded Kentucky, in overtime, in Indianapolis, to win the national title.

Arizona returned to the NCAA finals in 2001, losing to Duke, and made another run in 2005 before blowing a big lead against No. 1-seeded Illinois in a regional semifinal game.

Thursday capped a strange year in Olson’s life and for the Arizona basketball program. Shortly before last season, Olson announced he was taking a personal leave of absence for what he termed a non-life threatening medical issue. Kevin O’Neill took over the team and led Arizona to a 19-15 record in the school’s 24th straight NCAA appearance.

When Olson returned in the spring, however, he announced O’Neill was no longer part of the staff. Olson also endured a contentious divorce and recently announced he was engaged again.

In 34 seasons as a Division I-A coach at Long Beach State, Iowa and Arizona, Olson posted 780 victories, which ranks eighth all time.

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 2002.  LUTE OLSON>>

HAUNTED FUN AROUND TUCSON

PHOENIX (AP) — Two government agencies approved land agreements that have brought Arizona’s first wind-energy power plant a step closer to becoming a reality.

The first phase of the proposed Dry Lake Wind Project northwest of Snowflake is scheduled to open by 2010, with about 30 wind turbines generating 63 megawatts of electricity when the wind blows, enough for nearly 16,000 homes.

A second phase could bring an additional 200 or more turbines for a maximum capacity of 314 megawatts, which would provide enough electricity for 78,500 homes when the wind blows.  ARIZONA WIND FARM>>

Those who took the time to meet with local lenders were able to start the dialogue necessary to get themselves out of a pickle.  100’s of people showed up to this workshop.  For more info on who puts on these meetings, Hope Now>>