FILE PHOTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat Oregon State head coach Jay John, left, a former UA assistant under Lute Olson, right, returns to Tucson this week for the second time since taking over the Beavers two seasons ago.

Former UA assistants, like OSU's John, find own coaching success

510 · and counting.

That's the consensus both within and outside the Arizona men's basketball camp, after Hall of Fame head coach Lute Olson passed Fred Enke as the school's all-time wins leader, just days after reaching the 700-win plateau for his 31-year coaching career.

"All those things were inevitable," said current Oregon State head coach Jay John, a former UA assistant who makes his second trip to Tucson tomorrow after leaving for Corvallis two seasons ago. "If coach (Olson) keeps going with the talent he has, I know it will be 800 soon. "

"I was at Arizona for win 600, which was just as incredible then as these are now."

But what happens when Olson ÷ who's also set to hit 70 years of age in September ÷ finally does decide to hang up his patented blue blazer and khaki slacks for good?

With former Olson protŽgŽs like John, Toronto Raptors head coach Kevin O'Neill and Louisiana-Lafayette's Jessie Evans circling the coaching ranks, the answer may be closer than even Olson ever predicted, should the opportunity permit.

"The thing about coach O is that he lets the guys coach," John added. "You get a real chance to evolve and develop as an assistant under Coach Olson. I'd sense without any question in my mind that both Josh (Pastner) and Rodney (Tention) will become head coaches someday."

"If I could be here for the rest of my life, that would be terrific," said Pastner, a current assistant and former player at Arizona. "But I'm in no hurry for coach O to retire. There is nothing scientific that says he can't be coaching when he's 100."

According to Pastner, however, UA associate head coach Jim Rosborough, a longtime Olson aide during stints at both Iowa and Arizona, including the past 15 seasons in Tucson, should be next up once Olson steps aside.

"Coach Ros has been successful for so long that obviously he's in line," Pastner said.

Pastner said Tention, in his seventh year with the Wildcats, is also poised to take the helm of a big program in the near future.

"There is no doubt he's going to get a big-time job in the very near future," he said.

Pastner credits his coaching desire as the primary reason he was brought to the UA program.

"The opportunity given to me by Coach Olson, Coach Evans, Coach Rosborough ÷ all three of those at the time ÷ was awesome," Pastner said. "I sent over 1000 personalized handwritten letters to every school. Arizona was the only offer I ever got.

"They loved what I'd do with my high school or summer teams. Here I am playing, (and) I'll call timeout and coach the squad. They loved the fact that they knew I could come in here and I could work with players every night, and there were no rules against it."

John said one of Pastner's strong suits is his ability to relate to the players.

"Josh has always had great relationships with players, both as a player and a coach," John said. "Josh does a great job."

"One thing about me, from the day I got here, I was never the type to go out and party," Pastner said. "I always had a vision. I've always lived a pretty straight and narrow lifestyle because I know that in order to achieve at a certain level, I had to separate myself."

Pastner also credited his motivation for easing his transition from player to coach.

"It was an extremely easy transition. (The players) never looked at me as ÎHere, this is my buddy,'" he said. "And it's not only because I've lived a pretty straight and narrow lifestyle, but also because I've had great teachers to learn from."

As John's OSU squad comes to Tucson with a record of 8-7 overall and 3-2 in Pacific 10 Conference play, Pastner knows that his former leader has what it takes to become a big-time college coach, and hopes that he'll get the opportunity to someday do the same.

"I learned a lot from Coach John. He coached the big guys and I was down there every day with him for four years," Pastner said. "He works his butt off and is an awesome recruiter. I want Oregon State to win all their games ÷ except, of course, for the ones they play against us."

Pastner, whose desire to someday become a head coach has never been a secret, said his heart is still at Arizona as an assistant under Olson.

"I love the job I'm at today," he said. "The assistant job at Arizona is better than most head coaching jobs across the country."