Lute Olson is taking a leave of absence

[bigboydan]

Now I'm going to have to tweak a few things I have already entered in my database. However I don't think I'll have to tweak it all that much though, because Kevin O'Neill does have and has proven he can definitely coach on the college level.

Olson will take indefinite leave of absence due to personal matter

Arizona men's basketball coach Lute Olson will take a leave of absence to tend to what he called a personal matter.

Olson's public relations firm released a statement saying the 73-year-old Hall of Fame coach was not facing a health issue.

"For the past 25 years, I have always given 110 percent to the team and this job," Olson said in the statement. "In light of this personal matter, I feel it's in the best interests of the team and university to take a leave of absence.

"It isn't a health scare but rather a personal matter that needs my undivided attention."

A family member told ESPN.com Sunday that Olson expects the matter to be resolved rather quickly so he can rejoin the team.

Assistant coach Kevin O'Neill will assume coaching duties in Olson's absence beginning with Sunday's exhibition against Concordia University of Montreal.

Arizona Athletic director Jim Livengood has scheduled a 3:30 p.m. news conference to discuss the situation, but Olson will not be present.

Olson has a 780-280 record in 34 seasons as a major college coach. In 24 years at Arizona, he is 589-187 with 23 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. His Wildcats have won 11 Pac-10 championships, reached the Final Four four times and won the 1997 NCAA title.

[bigboydan]

Here is an update on Lute Olsen's return:

O'Neill speaks with Olson, who's expected to return soon

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona interim coach Kevin O'Neill said Lute Olson will return soon from his personal leave of absence.

"He will be back shortly," O'Neill said Monday at a campus news conference. "We all know that and our job is to go about our business day to day until he is back."

No date has been set for the 73-year-old Olson's return. He left the program on Nov. 4, citing undisclosed personal reasons.

O'Neill said he spoke with Olson over the weekend.

"The conversation did not include any basketball," O'Neill said. "There is no new information. There is nothing new."

Until Olson returns, the No. 17 Wildcats will be led by O'Neill, his top assistant. At this time last year, O'Neill had no idea he would be stepping in for Olson to begin the 2007-08 season.

And what if someone would have suggested it back then?

"I would have had them drug tested immediately and asked them where they got those drugs because they [had] to be pretty good," O'Neill said as he prepared to lead the 17th-rated Wildcats into their opener against Northern Arizona on Tuesday night in McKale Center.

A year ago, O'Neill was still being paid by the Indiana Pacers, for whom he worked as an assistant coach. He was living in New York and taking care of his ailing mother.

Replacing Olson was not one of his options. But it became a reality when O'Neill, who coached with Olson at Arizona from 1986-89, was hired last summer as the Wildcats' chief assistant.

Now it's up to O'Neill to make sure the Wildcats don't stumble without Olson.

"I learned through coaching different places that basketball is basketball and you should expect the unexpected and be willing to do whatever you have to do to help the team win," O'Neill said. "I am going to do whatever I have to in order to try to help up win as many games as we can."

O'Neill's task for the time being is to make sure a young Wildcat team does not overlook Northern Arizona, and that they play hard.

"Sometimes players don't act like mature players and when you look past somebody that is when you lose," O'Neill said.

O'Neill has not acted like a substitute teacher. He's pushed the Wildcats to play harder than they did in their two exhibition victories.

"I don't think our guys play hard," O'Neill said. "I think we play hard about 70-75 percent of the time. Our goal is to play hard on every possession of every practice and every possession of every game. If we do that as a basketball team we will have a chance to improve."

[shrax4]

Thanks for the follow up BBD, this is the first news I've heard of him coming back. Went to the game tonight and the Mildcats looked terrible against a vanilla Lumberjack team. We need Lute back, fast.

[bigboydan]

Arizona coach Lute Olson returned to practice Monday night but his status for resuming full-time duties with the Wildcats following a three-week leave of absence is still not known. Rumors are saying that he will either be back coaching on Wed (Cal State-Fullerton) or Sunday (Texas A&M)

[bigboydan]

Anyone know for sure if Lute Olson will be coaching tonight or not vs Texas A&M?