Ever since they can remember, sports activities have been a
dominant part of the life of Bill Olsen and his younger brother Bud, and many of their
best sports memories originated at U of L. Today, even though they are natives of Southern
Indiana, the Olsen brothers reside in Louisville. Bill, the oldest of the Olsen siblings,
recently resigned after his 17th year as athletic director at U of L. As for Bud, he is
still remembered as a standout forward for the teams of Peck Hickman and John Dromo in the
1960s. Later, he enjoyed an eight-year career in the pro ranks as a player and two years
as an assistant coach.“We were fortunate during our growing up years back in Vincennes, Indiana,” said Bill during a recent interview. “Our dad had played football at the University of Illinois and was also a baseball player so he introduced us to sports early. Bud and I always played together. We had two other brothers and two sisters but we were the oldest and in those growing up years it seems like we did everything together.”
This was in the late 1940s, extending into the ’50s, when high school basketball ruled in the Hoosier state.
In Vincennes back then the local YMCA was the focal point of most sports activities and often Mr. Olsen would end up coaching his sons. “He put up a basketball goal over our garage door and we would always open up that door so we wouldn’t crash into it when we drove for a lay-up,” Bill says. “He taught us the fundamentals in baseball, basketball, and football from a very early age.”
In addition to school and sports, the Olsens spent much of their time as newspaper carriers. But it was sports that dominated their extra curricular time. “We played the seasonal sports, baseball, football, and basketball,” says Bud. “We went from one season right into the next because back then they didn’t overlap like they do now.”
“Bud and I were pretty much evenly matched when we played against each other until I reached about the fifth grade,” Bill says. “Then he had a growth spurt that somehow eluded me. It didn’t seem to stop until he reached about 6-foot-5. After that, he could pretty much dominate me in everything, especially in basketball. I didn’t have much of a chance except maybe in an occasional game of ‘horse.’ In a regular one-on-one game, all he had to do was to take me inside and he could destroy me. And believe me, he did.”
As Bud was excelling in basketball, baseball was dominating Bill’s time. But although he excelled in baseball and was also regarded as a good football prospect, it was basketball that was his favorite. “Unfortunately, though, our coach didn’t love me as much as I loved basketball and usually I was cut.”
While Bud was finishing his high school career in Dayton (the
family moved during his junior year), 17-year-old Bill opted for a stint in the Marine
Corps, where he was told that he could continue his baseball career in San Diego. First,
however, was the rigid marine experience of boot camp. The following year, he was playing
for the Camp Pendleton Marines in Oceanside, California. “This was a wonderful
experience for me,” says Bill. “We began playing in January and competed against
other military teams as well as the great college teams from Arizona, Arizona State,
Southern California, and UCLA. We had a few players on our team who were pros but there
was no doubt that from top to bottom, those Arizona teams were the best.”
After completing his military obligation, Bill was offered partial baseball scholarships to such institutions as Indiana and Ohio State. Meanwhile, Bud was finishing up an outstanding high school career at Belmont. Offers began coming in, particularly from the University of Dayton.
“I had been a big IU fan but after we moved to Dayton, we would go watch them play and I became interested in maybe going there.” But then John Dromo entered the picture, mainly because of the efforts of two Louisville players who happened to be natives of Dayton. One was Jim Morgan, who had been an integral part of the 1955-56 NIT championship team. The other was a current player, Joe Kitchen.
“Even though Dayton was home, Dromo was masterful in presenting the U of L program,” Bud says. "He made it a very attractive option and pointed out that a couple of other Dayton residents, Morgan and Kitchen, had enjoyed successful careers at U of L.
That was quite a connection. And then there was Freedom Hall. It was brand new and there wasn’t another facility like it anywhere.”
Olsen Legacy
After becoming AD in 1980, Olsen oversaw the growth of the athletic department budget from about $2 million a year to more than $17.5 million. He was charged by then-president Donald C. Swain and the trustees to operate athletics without financial assistance from U of L, the state, or students, something only a handful of schools have done in modern times.
B: BowlsAfter making a bold commitment to football in 1984 by hiring national championship head coach Howard Schnellenberger to rebuild the program, Olsen has seen the Cards win two bowl appearances. The gridiron Cards finished in the Top 15 in 1990 after a 34-7 win over Alabama in the Fiesta Bowl, and then claimed their first win ever over a Big Ten team by defeating Michigan State 18-7 in the 1993 St. Jude Liberty Bowl.
C: ChampionshipsOlsen was a member of Denny Crum’s basketball staff in 1980 when U of L won its first NCAA National Championship. As AD, he saw the Cards claim their second title in 1986. Olsen and his staff also helped make Louisville a successful site for major NCAA and conference title events.
D: Development Under Olsen's guidance, U of L's athletic department managed a $13 million renovation of Freedom Hall that re-established it as one of the nation’s best basketball venues. Olsen also helped develop the Student Activities Center, which includes Cardinal Arena, a state-of-the art practice and playing facility. Later, the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center was built as a first step in the development of U of L's sports park concept. Most recently, Olsen has overseen the creation of the new 45,000-seat Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, set for completion in August of 1998. E: EducationDuring his tenure, Olsen helped expand the office of Academic-Athletic Services and created new ways of recognizing top student-athletes, such as the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. In 1994, Olsen and his staff created the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and developed C.A.R.D.I.N.A.L.S. Standing Tall, a coordinated community outreach program.
F: FundraisingOlsen’s administration established the Hickman-Camp Fund, an athletic scholarship endowment, which now totals $15.8 million. He and his staff also developed new marketing ideas such as Kickoff Luncheons, game sponsorships, and commitment packages, now valuable Cardinal traditions.
NOTES: New AD Tom Jurich has a strong football background. He was a quarterback, punter, and
place-kicker at Northern Arizona, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and played with the Minnesota Vikings before working as an assistant football coach at the University of Minnesota. Later, he returned to Northern Arizona where he served as AD for eight years. He has managed the Colorado State program for the past four years during a time of unprecedented success on the field as well as in the development of new funding and facilities.Sports is produced in partnership with the Louisville Sports Report.
