The oft-repeated story was that when Lute Olson was in the mix for the Kentucky job for the second time in 1989, he was ready to take it until his grandchildren’s tears changed his mind. He stayed in Tucson for the rest of his life because of family.
The same desire Olson had to do right by his family has been evident in his granddaughter, Julie Hairgrove, the longest-tenured assistant coach in the WNBA. Taking over the head coach’s chair for any team would mean giving up things she didn’t want to give up.