Olson energized by year off

May 20, 2008 - 9:32 PM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Last year's soap opera may keep Lute Olson at Arizona for the foreseeable future.

Stating that he feels "recharged" after the year off, Olson hinted that he may continue to coach the Wildcats for five or six years, the Arizona Republic reported on Tuesday.

Forced to leave the men's basketball team last season due to a divorce that has turned ugly, Olson is back and believes that Arizona will be a force to reckon with next season.

Due to his positive attitude, Olson, who turns 74 in November, believes that he can remain at the helm for some time, even though his contract only runs through 2011.

Announcing he was taking a leave of absence from the team last November, Olson turned over the reins to assistant Kevin O'Neill, who guided the Wildcats through an up-and-down 19-15 campaign and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Although O'Neill was originally brought in by Olson to eventually replace him, the longtime Arizona coach clashed with O'Neill upon his return, leading to the assistant to be named to a special role inside the athletic department to honor the end of his contract.

Now that he has complete control once again, Olson is looking forward to a return towards the top of the Pac-10 Conference, even though his roster is in flux right now.

Top scorer Jerryd Bayless has opted to leave school for the NBA after one season, and top big man Chase Budinger is currently considering his prospects as a pro.

To add to that, news that recruit Emmanuel Negedu was released from his letter of intent creates concerns for the state of the program.

"(It) won't affect our program at all," Olson told the paper about the departure of Negedu.

Apparently, a lot more will have to happen to sour Olson on his return to the sidelines.