TUCSON, Ariz. -- Divorce papers have been filed seeking to end the marriage of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson, a court spokesman said Friday.
Olson
Court spokesman Dave Ricker confirmed that a divorce petition was filed on Thursday in Pima County Superior Court, the same day the 73-year-old Olson -- already on an indefinite leave of absence -- said he would extend his leave through the end of the season.
It's not clear whether Olson or wife Christine filed for divorce.
Ricker said he has not seen the petition, and legal records supervisor Ray Rivas in the clerk's office says court rules bar public scrutiny of divorce petitions until the filer's spouse has been served or 45 days have passed.
The filing was first reported online by the Tucson Citizen and the Arizona Daily Star.
Olson has cited unspecified personal reasons for taking a leave of absence.
In a statement released by the university late Thursday announcing Olson's leave extension, the Hall of Famer said he plans to return to coach the Wildcats for the 2008-09 season.
"There are personal issues within my family that need to be addressed and I must devote my full energy to that," Olson said in the statement.
Olson's divorce lawyer, Leonard Karp, was not in his office at midday Friday and his assistant did not immediately return a call.
Gordon James, a Phoenix public relations executive who has represented the Olsons, said he could offer no immediate comment.
"Mrs. Olson is en route from New York and will be issuing a statement," he said.James said her flight was expected to arrive Friday evening.
Athletic director Jim Livengood, who was in Chicago with the team, said: "There's no comment from me. It's a personal family matter and should be addressed appropriately."
The Wildcats (No. 24 ESPN/USA Today, No. 22 AP) play Illinois in Chicago on Saturday.Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Source: ESPN.com
No comments:
Post a Comment