Lute Olson didn't even flinch about the date. There wasn't a choice. He knew where he would be on Friday. He would be at his son's wedding in Italy. No question.

If the Basketball Hall of Fame could work out a satellite feed to bring in the Arizona coach's acceptance speech, then so be it. He would have a backup video done as a safety. But his heart is with his family, always has been.

Coaching major college basketball, or any other high-pressured sport, puts a tremendous strain on the coach's family, marriage and children. A coach's mood swings with the wins and losses and can ultimately dictate how a family's mood will be for the rest of the day, weekend, or even week. And while there have been plenty of outspoken and popular spouses, loved by their coaching husbands and beloved by their program's extended family, few have had the impact as the late Bobbi Olson.

	Lute Olson will miss the Hall of Fame ceremonies to see his son Steve get married in Italy.

Few coaches have made a point to include their spouse publicly as much as Lute Olson. And that's why there was no question where he would be, even though the timing appeared to be poor for the Olson family with his induction into the Hall of Fame falling on the same weekend his youngest son, Steve, is getting married.

Family is too important to Lute to miss this event, this family time, especially in light of Bobbi's passing in January of 2001.

"It's a shame it's the same weekend but family comes first," Olson said prior to departing last week for Italy, where he was expected to meet up with his five grown children (he has 14 grandchildren). "Nothing could be done about that. We'll just make the most of it."

The Hall of Fame invited Olson and his family back to the 2003 ceremony and will have him go through the formal events, Hall of Fame jacket and all, in front of his family and friends. There will be Arizona representatives like longtime assistant coach Jim Rosborough in Springfield, Mass., on Friday but no one from the Olson family. They are where they ought to be -- together in Italy.

"We're just thrilled for Steve," Lute said of his 38-year old son, whom he discusses with such pride. Steve Olson has been a personal chef of actor Brendan Frasier and was with him in London while Frasier was in a play. Steve took a break to go to Italy where he met his fiancée.

"We're anxious to get over there and meet her," Olson said of Sandra Belcredi, a name he spelled out to ensure there was no mistake, the actions of a father who has taken on even more family responsibility with the passing of Bobbi, his wife of 47 years.

"She had never been married either -- they both have been waiting -- but they didn't know they were a continent apart," Olson said of Steve and Sandra.

This is the side of Lute Olson few saw throughout his career while leading Iowa and Arizona to a combined five Final Fours, one runner-up finish and the 1997 national title. And while it's Olson's name that will be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, it is both Lute and Bobbi Olson's name that are at center court at McKale Center in Tucson.

How rare is that? It is simply unheard of to have a husband and wife on the court when only one of them was the coach. But it confirms his "family" atmosphere within the Arizona program isn't just coach-speak. He lived it while Bobbi was alive and continues it in her honor.

"The basketball program has been a family and that started with Bobbi and her involvement," Olson said. "It's a source of great pride for me that everyone has recognized how critical Bobbi was to my success and to the success of the program. If you say 'Lute,' you say 'Bobbi.' Not only was she great with the players but she was a role model to younger coaches' wives as well. She was always very involved and did it in a positive way."

The recognition on the court will be hard to repeat at another institution.

"Both at Iowa and here she was recognized as being a huge part of the program," Olson said. "Arizona and Iowa fans recognized that. She'll be looking down and enjoying the Hall of Fame and Steve's wedding as well."

Olson was at his best during his most difficult season -- the 2000-01 season, the season in which he lost Bobbi. The Wildcats started the season No. 1, got through two NCAA suspensions, a five-game leave of absence that he took to grieve and turned an 8-5 start into a 15-2 finish before the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats were a few possessions away from beating Duke in the title game. When it was over, in the hallways of the Metrodome, Olson's family hugged and cried after what had been an emotionally draining season.

Olson could have stopped after that season. Gone home, spent more time with his family. But somehow he has found the time to balance both over the past two years. Olson is still just as visible on the recruiting scene, reeling in top-rated recruits in the class of 2002 and likely in '03. The Wildcats shocked most of the nation last season by rebounding from losing four of five starters to winning 24 games and the Pac-10 tournament title. And the Wildcats will enter this season as one of the three favorites with Kansas and Oklahoma for the 2003 national title.

	Arizona basketball is on the map because of Lute Olson. But he'll tell you, and the fans in the state will concur, that just as much credit goes to his late wife, Bobbi, his assistants and the players who took a chance early in his career in Tucson.

Arizona basketball is on the map because of Lute Olson. But he'll tell you, and the fans in the state will concur, that just as much credit goes to his late wife, Bobbi, his assistants and the players who took a chance early in his career in Tucson like Steve Kerr and Sean Elliott.

"It's been amazing what has happened, we never envisioned all of this," Olson said. "We don't have the in-state population and had only five Arizona players. We've had to go into everybody else's backyard trying to recruit players. We've recruited the right people and been able to make the pieces fit."

"One of the greatest accomplishment is that we get the guys to play hard and play unselfish together," Olson added. "We deal from a positive standpoint. We know we're going to be good and we want them to believe that."

Olson said he prides himself on getting players the "right way." If the Wildcats get beat on a prospect, then he said he's the first to acknowledge the other school and coach.

"We try not to be a sour grapes program," Olson said. "If we've got nothing good to say, then we're not going to say anything. Throughout this program, we want to represent the university in a class manner."

Class is the word that usually describes Olson. He has the Cary Grant-type looks and has always had a presence when he walks on the court -- and into a gym to watch a recruit.

He is one of the few remaining legends of the game still active, and he's not interested in retiring anytime soon. That's because he doesn't have to race back to his family time. He's already with them. Always has been.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.