AARON J. LATHAM / arizona daily star 2004

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Lute Olson's 49-year Hall of Fame basketball coaching career ended Thursday on the same kind of unusual note that marked his final 18 months at Arizona.

Olson stepped down just six days after the Arizona Wildcats began official practices for the 2008-09 season for reasons that are as unclear as those driving his season-long leave of absence last season.

In a four-minute media briefing, UA athletic director Jim Livengood did not say why Olson, 74, decided to step down, and would not comment on the Wildcats' future leadership or the financial impact of Olson's departure. He also did not say who will be the Cats' head coach this season.

Olson's contract, which runs through 2010-11, is worth up to $1.1 million with incentives. Olson's contract requires him to pay a $100,000 penalty if he quits during the regular season or during the preseason. UA President Robert Shelton can waive the penalty.

The fee was intended to offset the loss of potential ticket revenue and the cost for UA administration in finding a new coach. At any cost, the timing of Olson's move makes it nearly impossible for the Wildcats now to conduct a coaching search. Arizona's Red-Blue game is Nov. 1 and its first regular-season game is Nov. 17.

The departure also endangered UA's three-man 2009 recruiting class that is scheduled to sign binding letters of intent next month; a coach for one of the recruits, forward Mike Moser, said he has already decommitted.

Livengood did not take questions after his news briefing and quickly walked away, flanked by UA administrators.

"At this point in time, today is a day to do nothing other than honor Lute. That's exactly what we intend to do," Livengood said. "You all know this, but the legacy of his time here … what he's meant to Tucson and the U of A, and the entire country, is just immeasurable."

Olson, who was the oldest active Div. I college basketball coach, did not appear at McKale Center on Thursday. He did not address his players, but issued a statement through UA publicists.

"This was not a decision that was made lightly," Olson said. "I've had a wonderful run at the University of Arizona. I leave with a great sense of pride in what we have accomplished here."

Olson went on to thank his family, UA fans and players while saying he wanted to spend more time with his family and friends.

"I look forward to watching Wildcat basketball and visiting with my colleagues in the coaching profession," Olson said. "It is time to pass the program on to a younger staff, to transition the university to the next generation of basketball."

It was unclear whether Olson's departure was related to his health, though he cited "stress and anxiety" for being unable to coach last season.

Several players said they had no idea what was happening except that Olson was not coming back.

"Say a prayer for him," forward Fendi Onobun said.

Added senior guard David Bagga: "My main focus is that he's all right. I'm gonna miss him a lot."

Associate head coach Mike Dunlap has run the last two practices without Olson, and is said to be named an interim head coach, the father of UA recruit Solomon Hill said Thursday. Hill's dad, Solomon Crawford, said assistant coach Reggie Geary told him the news.

However, Livengood declined to say who would become in charge of the program.

Just under a year ago, seven months after removing longtime assistant Jim Rosborough and replacing him with Kevin O'Neill, Olson left O'Neill in charge when he announced he was taking a temporary leave of absence for a personal matter. He announced a month later he would miss the entire season, then said after the season it was actually a "medical condition" that led to his leave of absence.

Shortly after returning in late March, after the Wildcats had reached their 24th straight NCAA tournament, Olson held a combative news conference in which he announced that O'Neill would not return. O'Neill is now an assistant coach with the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies.

O'Neill left last spring for the NBA. Fellow assistants Josh Pastner and Miles Simon also departed. Pastner took an assistant's job with the University of Memphis, while Simon was not retained.

Because of the changes, Arizona's top 2009 recruit, Abdul Gaddy, decommitted in May. Gaddy recommitted to the Wildcats last month after building relationships with the Wildcats' new assistant coaches but his father said Thursday he may re-open his recruitment again.

"He's definitely not happy with what's going on at the university," Abdul Gaddy Sr. said of his son, adding he's been "bombarded" by requests from other schools such as UCLA and Washington to reconsider them.

Meanwhile, Moser of Portland, Ore., decommitted Thursday after hearing reports of Olson's departure, according to his traveling-team coach, Kumbeno Memory. Moser will, however, take a planned official visit to UA this weekend.

Crawford, the father of Solomon Hill, the Wildcats' third 2009 recruit, said his son remained committed "as of now."

Olson's departure also affected the UA players who considered leaving last spring but came back at least in part because Olson was returning.

Guard Nic Wise and forward Jamelle Horne considered transferring, and Wise's father said at the time that he wanted to make sure "the same thing" wouldn't happen this year with Olson's status. Nic Wise, however, declined to comment on what Olson's departure meant to him.

Junior forward Chase Budinger tested the NBA draft before deciding to return just before the withdrawal deadline, in part because Olson was returning.

"There were more reasons (for returning) than just Lute," said Duncan Budinger, Chase's father. "But obviously, Lute was a reason."

Olson used to routinely tell recruits that he would be at Arizona as long as they were. But Tuesday, Olson said "I don't think anyone can make promises about their future."

Olson also reiterated Tuesday his long-held criteria for remaining on the job: If he has health, enjoyment and the ability to relate to the players. He said Tuesday, just a day before he left the team for good, that he felt more "energized" than he did a year ago, blaming a raspy voice on yelling during the first week of practice.

Speculation about a possible Olson retirement accelerated Wednesday, when Olson uncharacteristically canceled his annual appearance at a Rotary Club of Tucson luncheon and did not show up for practice. Since 1984, he has spoken every October to the Rotarians.

Olson is 589-187 over 24 seasons at Arizona, having taken the Wildcats to four Final Fours and winning the NCAA title in 1997. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

ONLINE EXTRA: Take a look at the life of Lute Olson . The site includes a slide show of Olson's career at the UA. Video announcement of Olson's retirement.