Arizona announced Friday that assistant basketball coach Emanuel Richardson is taking a leave of absence from the program for health reasons.
In a statement, Richardson said: “I have made the decision to take time away from the University of Arizona for health reasons. This is not a life-or-death situation, but nonetheless very important. I am very appreciative to be given the flexibility to temporarily step away from coaching and basketball and to concentrate on my well-being."
Richardson, considered one of Arizona's top recruiters, has been on the staff throughout Sean Miller's tenure after arriving with him from Xavier in 2009. In that time, he's helped the Wildcats land three straight recruiting classes ranked in the top 10 nationally.
In the school-released statement, Miller said: “We support Coach Richardson’s decision to take some time off from his coaching duties. What’s most important at this time is that he takes care of himself. We will miss his contribution to our program, but giving him time away is the best thing we can do to help. We look forward to his return.”
