<table> </table> Arizona basketball coach <strong>Lute Olson</strong>, just days after saying he was excited and energized for the start of the basketball season, abruptly announced Thursday that he is retiring, effective immediately.</p><p>Olson was about to enter his 25th season with the Wildcats. He missed all of last season after taking a personal leave of absence for what he later termed &#8220;a medical condition that was not life-threatening.&#8221;</p><p>When Olson returned from his leave in April, he said he planned to coach for the rest of his contract, which runs through 2011.</p><p>&#8220;This was not a decision that was made lightly,&#8221; Olson said in a statement. &#8220;I&#8217;ve had a wonderful run at the University of Arizona. I leave with a great sense of pride in what we have accomplished here.</p><p>&#8220;At this stage in my life, I want to devote my time to my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, family and friends.&#8221;</p><p>What Olson accomplished at Arizona was to make the desert basketball country. Arizona became a national powerhouse in basketball, thrilling generations of fans with 25 straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament. His teams played in four Final Fours (including the 1988 Final Four in Kansas City), and the Wildcats won a national championship under his guidance in 1997.</p><p>&#8220;Arizona now stands in the company of great college basketball programs,&#8221; school president <strong>Robert N. Shelton </strong>said. &#8220;We have Lute to thank for that.&#8221;</p><p>Athletic director <strong>Jim Livengood</strong>, speaking at a brief news conference, did not designate a successor &#8212; even on an interim basis. He said he Arizona would have an announcement of who would head the basketball program &#8220;in the very, very short future. I intend to recruit a coach who is worthy to inherit Lute&#8217;s astounding legacy.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Dick Vitale</strong>, who first reported the story, said Olson would be replaced by assistant <strong>Mike Dunlap</strong>, a former Denver Nuggets assistant who joined the program in May.</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">Olson by the numbers </span></strong><br /> &#8226;<strong>YEARS COACHING</strong>: 34 (1 at Long Beach, 9 at Iowa, 24 at Arizona)</p><p>&#8226;<strong>RECORD</strong>: 780-280 (589-187 at Arizona)</p><p>&#8226;<strong>NATIONAL TITLES</strong>: 1997</p><p>&#8226;<strong>FINAL FOURS</strong>: 1988, 1994, 1997, 2001.</p><p>&#8226;<strong>PACIFIC-10 TITLES</strong>: 11</p><p>&#8226;<strong>NBA DRAFT PICKS</strong>: 52 (13 first-rounders)</p><p>&#8226;<strong>20-WIN SEASONS</strong>: 29 (20 at Arizona)</p><p></div>