TUCSON, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Arizona men's basketball Coach Lute Olson has been granted a leave of absence due to a personal matter, Arizona Athletics Director Jim Livengood said.
Assistant coach Kevin O'Neill will fill in for Olson, said Livengood in a statement posted Sunday on the school's Web site.
"Lute asked for a leave of absence after (Saturday’s) football game," said Livengood. "Every intention is that he will be back."
"Our players will carry on business as usual," said O’Neill.
O'Neill said Olson had expressed a desire to keep the reason for his leave of absence private.
Olson was entering his 25th season at Arizona, and his 35th as an NCAA Division I head coach.
He has a career record of 780-280 (.736) and a 589-187 (.759) record at Arizona -- where his teams have won one national championship (1997); played in the national championship game (2001); advanced to four Final Fours (1988, 1994, 1997, 2001); and won 11 Pac-10 Conference titles.
Olson took the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament in 23 consecutive seasons, the longest active streak -- and second-longest streak ever -- in the NCAA.
