TUCSON (AP)—Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson answered one question on Monday.

He’ll be back as the Wildcats’ coach at the end of the season, ending his personal leave of absence.

But Olson raised another question when he said in a statement that his leave was necessitated “by a medical condition that was not life-threatening, but serious enough to require time away from my coaching responsibilities.”

In a city obsessed with Arizona basketball, that set off alarms because it represented a change from a statement Olson issued on the day he took his leave. He said then he wanted to “reassure everyone that this isn’t a health scare, but rather a personal matter that needs my undivided attention.”

Monday’s announcement was the latest twist in a bizarre season in the desert. Olson announced that he was going on leave Nov. 4, and one month later he said he was extending it through the season—on the same day he filed for divorce from his wife, Christine.

With a 589-187 record in 24 years at Arizona—and a national championship in 1997—Olson is Tucson’s No. 1 celebrity resident. Olson is 780-280 in 34 seasons overall, and his return will cause celebration among many Wildcats faithful. Olson’s contract runs through 2011.

“We are delighted that Lute will be rejoining the program,” athletic director Jim Livengood said in statement. “He is one of the true legends of collegiate coaching, and his return is something that I know will be embraced by everyone who cares about our basketball program.”

The 73-year-old Olson, among the state’s highest-paid employees, did not speak to reporters Monday. That duty fell to interim coach Kevin O’Neill during a news conference at McKale Center, and he offered no clues to Olson’s medical issues.

“I’ve never asked Lute,” O’Neill said. “I just didn’t think it was my place. I don’t know what medical condition he would be talking about, because I never asked him. I never wanted really to know.”

O’Neill served on Olson’s staff from 1986-89 and rejoined the Hall of Famer last spring to help shore up the Wildcats’ defense. But O’Neill was noncommittal when asked if he would return as Olson’s assistant next season.

“I don’t know that,” O’Neill said. “That’s an option, obviously. All I’m going to do is what I do every year in coaching, and this isn’t any different than when I was in the NBA or college before. After the season, I take a week or two, think about what is best for everybody and just make my decision based on that.”

O’Neill, who joked with reporters throughout the news conference, rejected a suggestion that it would be difficult to become an assistant after being in charge of the program.

“If they were going to say you’re not going to get paid any longer, I’d probably have a problem with that,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill said he has enjoyed living in Tucson, but chuckled when asked if he has been renting a home.

“I learned many years ago in the NBA: rent,” he said.

It was Livengood who annointed O’Neill the permanent successor in December, shortly after Olson extended his leave through the season.

On Monday, Livengood said O’Neill “has handled a very difficult situation with tremendous poise, and I can’t begin to say how appreciative we are of the job he has done.”

Livengood wasn’t available to the media Monday, but scheduled a news conference for Tuesday.

The announcement of Olson’s pending return came as the Wildcats make a last-ditch effort to extend their 23-year string of NCAA tournament appearances, the nation’s longest active streak.

Arizona is 18-13 and 8-10 in the Pac 10 this season—its worst conference record since 1983-84, Olson’s first season in Tucson. That’s also the last time the Wildcats didn’t make the NCAA tournament.

Seventh-seeded Arizona opens the Pac-10 tournament against last-place Oregon State on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

O’Neill said he didn’t believe the stir over Olson’s return would create an unnecessary distraction for the team. He praised his players, who have dealt with a coaching change and numerous injuries this season.

“I want to get all the attention on our players as soon as we can,” O’Neill said.

The players said they didn’t think it would affect them, but acknowledged that it’s been a trying season.

“We’ve been put in a tough spot,” senior guard Jawann McClellan said. “K.O.’s been put in a tough spot. But he’s put us in a position to get into the (NCAA) tournament.”