lute olson leave of absence

An unspecified personal matter that is not health-related has led Arizona men's basketball coach Lute Olson to take an indefinite leave of absence. Assistant coach Kevin O'Neill will now lead the Wildcats, picked 17th in the USA TODAY/ESPN coaches' preseason poll after a 20-11 record last year.
"I've given 110% to this team and this job," Olson said through his wife, Christine's, press relations firm. "In light of this personal matter, I feel it is in the best interest of the team and the University of Arizona to take a leave of absence."

Olson, 73, is entering his 25th season with Arizona where he won the national championship in 1997. He has won 780 games in a 35-year career and reached the NCAA tournament 23 consecutive seasons.

Olson spoke with Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood following the Wildcats' football game Saturday.

"Lute said, 'Jim I just need to talk to you for a little bit,'." Livengood said Sunday. "He said, 'I've been thinking that there is a personal matter that I really need to take care of and there is some immediacy to it, and I need to request a leave of absence.'."

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Arizona | Wildcats | Lute Olson | O'Neill | Kevin O'Neill
'I said to him, 'Coach, whatever you need to do we're going to do. Every intention certainly is that he is going to be back. That is not the issue right there. I think we have to honor (his wishes), that we keep his privacy and allow him some time to deal with a personal matter."

O'Neill, a former head coach at Tennessee, Marquette and Northwestern, is in his first season at Arizona.

"I think everybody needs to leave it as a personal matter and that Lute will be dealing with us again shortly, leading our team," O'Neill said. "He's been a great ambassador for the game for 50 years and will continue to lead our team for a long time."