Media should stop Lute Olson feeding frenzy

Lute deserves privacy on personal issues

TUCSON -- The media here is going nuts about Lute Olson, the UA basketball coach on leave this season for personal reasons.

Mr. Olson is a coach, not the President. The team is in good hands with Kevin O'Neill. It's time to get off Olson's back and give this story a rest.

It's disturbing that Lee Corp. fires 11 reporters at the Arizona Daily Star this week, but still finds it a priority to assign several reporters to dog Lute Olson, while other real news is ignored.

People deserve privacy in their personal lives, but sadly they get it less and less these days.

If there should be any more pressure, it should be toward UA management on the paid leave issue. Some reporters say, 'Lute is a high paid state employee,' and they have a point. But if Olson has built up a lot of paid vacation/personal days off, then he is allowed to use them now.

Lute and UA could put a lot of this to rest by agreeing to stop pay after his vacation/personal days are used up.

If Lute is truly coming back next year, he should have enough money in the bank to make it until next season. If he doesn't, perhaps Jim Click could give him a donation?