March 24, 2008
Lute Olson is returning to work.
The 73-year-old Arizona
head coach, who took the year off and was replaced by interim coach Kevin O'Neill, told FOXSports.com that he will officially make his return as head coach on Monday morning, with O'Neill going back to his previous duties.
"I will be back to my head coaching position," Olson said Sunday night, "and Kevin will return to being an assistant."
While O'Neill has maintained he'll evaluate the situation, numerous sources close to the situation have indicated there is virtually no chance that O'Neill and Olson would be able to co-exist.
"Kevin said he needs to think things over at the end of the year," Olson said. "Kevin needs to decide whether he can come back as an assistant or whether he wants to pursue other opportunities."
Olson said in a statement released on March 10 that he has been dealing with a medical condition.
"I'm feeling great," Olson said on Sunday. "My health is great."
He even joked that every coach should probably take one year off every five seasons to recharge.
Olson said he intends to meet with all the current players in the program immediately and then he'll likely go out on the road later in the week to meet with four signees that comprise one of the top incoming freshmen classes in the country.
"I'll meet with all the players individually starting Monday," Olson said. "I'm excited about sitting down with them and recapping the year, talking about what they need to accomplish in the spring and summer."
One of the keys is whether standout freshman Jerryd Bayless and sophomore forward Chase Budinger will return to school. Bayless, according to numerous NBA executives, could be a lottery pick, while Budinger's stock has fallen this past year.
"As soon as I meet with the current players, I'll go back out," Olson said.
"First I need to meet with all of the players on the team."
The Wildcats have a class that includes the nation's top point guard (Brandon Jennings) and one of the top big men (Jeff Withey) to go along with power forward Emmanuel Negedu and Brendon Lavender.
"I think we're going to have a really good team next year," Olson said. "I'd be surprised if we're not back as one of the top teams in the country."
Linear Mode
