TUCSON, Arizona — After Arizona reached the Final Four, head coach Tommy Lloyd looked skyward and paid tribute to his legendary predecessor.
"There's a good-looking guy with white hair looking down on us right now that's happy," Lloyd said following the Elite Eight victory in San Jose.
It turns out Lute Olson isn't just looking down — he's standing right next to him on a new mural in downtown Tucson.
The west-facing mural, located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Seventh Street across from Corbett's, honors the two University of Arizona coaches who have guided the Wildcats to the Final Four: Hall of Famer Lute Olson and current head coach Tommy Lloyd.
Passerby David Morales, a longtime U of A basketball fan, stopped to admire the artwork."How could you look up and not know what it is?" Morales said. "That is so realistic looking. I think the artist did it perfectly."
The mural is the work of Tucson artist Danny Martin, a University of Arizona School of Art alumnus. Martin paid special attention to perfecting Olson's distinctive white hair and eyes, while Lloyd is depicted wearing shades — possibly a nod to his new hobby as a DJ.
On a recent evening, former Kansas State assistant coach Butch Hawking stopped by to take a look."I have an immense appreciation for what the Arizona Wildcats are doing," Hawking said.
Hawking recalled facing Arizona years ago when Gilbert Arenas was a freshman: "We actually played Arizona... and they whooped us pretty good in the preseason NIT." He added, "Lute was a class act, did things the right way."
The timing feels especially fitting. Lloyd recently did something Olson once did — turning down a big-time opportunity elsewhere to stay in Tucson. Lloyd spurned interest from a major program (reportedly North Carolina) to remain with the Wildcats.
Morales appreciated the loyalty: "Tommy showed us loyalty — now we show him loyalty."
The two coaches actually shared the same air once before. When Lloyd was an assistant at Gonzaga, Arizona defeated the Bulldogs in a thrilling double-overtime game in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament.
Hawking summed it up well: "What a phenomenal tribute to Lute, who is a legend, and Tommy who is on the way."
The mural celebrates the only two Arizona coaches to reach the Final Four, capturing a powerful connection between past and present in the heart of Wildcat country.
