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Well, he was head basketball coach at Bradley - it was his very first head coaching job in 1919-1920 - here's his exerpt from the BU history ...
HAROLD OLSEN (1918-19)
6-9 (.400) Overall
• With Fred Brown serving the YMCA overseas,
Harold Olsen spent one season as Bradley’s
second head coach.
• The former Wisconsin player posted a 4-7
record in his first season as a head coach, then
returned to his home state to coach Ripon
College
• He later coached at Ohio State for 23 years,
compiling a 259-197 record and winning five Big
Ten Conference championships.
and apparently he's really quite a famous guy even tho little is ever mentioned of him here....
Harold Olsen was also a legend as a player at Wisconsin - and he also later was...
" ...Ohio State's head coach and spent more than two decades in Columbus, leading the Buckeyes to five Big Ten championships.
Olsen also was chairman of the National Collegiate Atwas chairman of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Basketball Committee in the 1930s, and that's where his connection to the tournament started.
He wanted to create a true national championship tournament to compete with the then-more prestigious NIT. So the first NCAA tournament was organized in 1939 with just eight teams. .."
so our guy Harold Olsen from almost 100 years ago is the FATHER of the NCAA Tournament!! I think that's a pretty neat Bradley connection!!
HAROLD OLSEN (1918-19)
6-9 (.400) Overall
• With Fred Brown serving the YMCA overseas,
Harold Olsen spent one season as Bradley’s
second head coach.
• The former Wisconsin player posted a 4-7
record in his first season as a head coach, then
returned to his home state to coach Ripon
College
• He later coached at Ohio State for 23 years,
compiling a 259-197 record and winning five Big
Ten Conference championships.
and apparently he's really quite a famous guy even tho little is ever mentioned of him here....
Harold Olsen was also a legend as a player at Wisconsin - and he also later was...
" ...Ohio State's head coach and spent more than two decades in Columbus, leading the Buckeyes to five Big Ten championships.
Olsen also was chairman of the National Collegiate Atwas chairman of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Basketball Committee in the 1930s, and that's where his connection to the tournament started.
He wanted to create a true national championship tournament to compete with the then-more prestigious NIT. So the first NCAA tournament was organized in 1939 with just eight teams. .."
so our guy Harold Olsen from almost 100 years ago is the FATHER of the NCAA Tournament!! I think that's a pretty neat Bradley connection!!