In 1997-98, he put together what may have been the best team in Arizona history. His silver season as a collegiate coach, Olson won his sixth Pac-10 Coach-of-the-Year honor after directing Arizona to the program?s eighth Pac-10 Championship during his tenure. That defending national champion club took everyone?s best shot throughout the season, and still managed to post a 30-5 record, thanks in part to a school-record-tying winning streak of 19 consecutive games. The Wildcats, who were a last-second desperation three-pointer away from becoming the first team in Pac-10 history to complete the league schedule 18-0, would get one step away from the school?s fourth Final Four before falling to Utah in the NCAA West Regional Final in Anaheim.

In a career that has produced one major achievement after another, it was the 1996-97 season that proved to be the year when Olson reached the pinnacle of his on-court coaching career.

After seeing his squad finish with a regular season record of 19-9 and its lowest Pac-10 finish (fifth) since his first year at the UA (eighth), he rallied the troops for one of the most remarkable runs in the NCAA tournament?s history. Going in as a No. 4 seed and with a two-game losing streak, the Wildcats proceeded to do what no team had ever done ? beat three No. 1 seeds on the way to the national title.

By the way, the trio of wins didn?t come against just any group of teams ? they came against the three winningest programs in college basketball history.

The excitement started when Arizona knocked off everyone?s favorite to win it all, Kansas, in the regional semifinal in Birmingham, Ala. Then, after going into overtime to beat Providence in the Southeast Regional Final (96-92), the UA advanced to the Final Four in Indianapolis, where it beat its second No. 1 seed, North Carolina. This win set up the title game against defending national champion, Kentucky.

The Wildcats vs. Wildcats match-up proved to be a battle of epic proportions, one that resulted in the first NCAA overtime title game in seven years. When the dust settled, Olson?s club came away with an 84-79 win, a conquest that took place just two days after his 14-year anniversary of being named the head coach at Arizona. The monumental win set off a wild celebration at the RCA Dome, and back home on the streets of Tucson.

That national championship team was built out of the same mold as the man who was in charge ? forged with a competitive fire, intensely driven and dedicated to be the best.  >>> CONTINUED