Jim Calhoun retires from Connecticut

[mr shadow 008]

I'm sorry if there is already a thread about this but i did not see one. According to sportscenter Calhoun is going to retire on Thursday with a press conference scheduled for 2 P.M. will post a link as soon as one becomes available.
http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcspor...oun-to-retire/

[DaveR]

Thanks for all of the great memories Jim!

[Steven43]

Can't say I'm sorry to see him go. I think he was a very good coach as far as getting his team ready to win a big game, but I don't think he has great integrity or character. The college game is better off without him.

[Greg_Newton]

Welcome To Retirement, Jim Calhoun!

Can't say I'll miss him very much.

[cspan37421]

He built UConn out of nothing, and he was easily one of the best coaches of his era. We may tend to forget that because of his brusque demeanor, our battles with UConn (esp. one or two that sure seemed like was 5 on 8), a scandal or two involving weak sanctions for a player involved in a laptop theft ring, I think something about money, surgery, and an ex-team manager or agent, and poor academic progress. But lately, that last one especially seems quaint. At least UConn didn't lie about their academic progress - at least, not enough to avoid a bad APR and postseason bans.

I did not like the man - I took great pleasure in watching Tennessee beat them last year from the upper level - but I respect his accomplishments. He could flat-out coach.

[flyingdutchdevil]

One can easily argue that Calhoun was the best in-game coach out there. But as a leader, a person, and a representative of a school, not so much.

I feel myself opening up to UConn more now.

[Indoor66]

He had is issues but he was undoubtedly a great basketball coach. I'm sorry to see him leave but am glad he is gone.

[FerryFor50]

Good riddance.

[JasonEvans]

To some extent, he was the Jerry Tarkanian of the past decade or so. A guy who coached well and got his teams to win at an impressive clip, but who did so with extremely questionable ethics and, at times, seemed to openly thumb his nose at the NCAA and the rules.

--Jason "perhaps Calipari is the modern Tark... perhaps the comparison doesn't work... regardless, I certainly will not miss Calhoun's ethics (or lack thereof)" Evans

[juise]

Thanks for all of the great memories Jim!

(The opposite of) This.

[Dukehky]

He and his striped friends stole two ships from us. I maintain that the '99 team was the best Duke ever had, and will never get over the awfulness of that game.

aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh see ya!


Yeah, I'm bitter.

[devildeac]

He and his striped friends stole two ships from us. I maintain that the '99 team was the best Duke ever had, and will never get over the awfulness of that game.

aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh see ya!


Yeah, I'm bitter.

That's not the only thing uCon stole...

[greybeard]

The guy survived two cancers. The second, in his neck, involved removing handfuls of lympth nodes. This news, to me, portends misfortune.

[UrinalCake]

He built UConn out of nothing, and he was easily one of the best coaches of his era. We may tend to forget that because of his brusque demeanor, our battles with UConn (esp. one or two that sure seemed like was 5 on 8), a scandal or two involving weak sanctions for a player involved in a laptop theft ring, I think something about money, surgery, and an ex-team manager or agent, and poor academic progress. But lately, that last one especially seems quaint. At least UConn didn't lie about their academic progress - at least, not enough to avoid a bad APR and postseason bans.

Don't forget El-Amin's drug bust (after which he proclaimed himself a "role model"), Kemba Walker claiming he had never read a book (and he was one of their best players academically), and numerous recruiting violations. There were a lot of reasons to not like his program.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

The guy was incredibly slimy and always managed to stay one step ahead of the law. However, he took a school in the middle of nowhere that was a consistent doormat in the Big East and built them into a national power. He was also a great in-game coach - others might argue otherwise, but he outcoached Coach K at least once (1999) and I believe other times as well that I don't recall.

[OldPhiKap]

Jim Calhoun's departure is a big blow to what is left of the Big East. It is going to be difficult to replicate his success up in Storrs I think.

The guy knew how to draw up a game plan and get his kids to execute it.

As far as all of the collateral issues surrounding JC and UConn -- I kind of look at him like I did Jim Valvano and State. Calhoun gave the university what it wanted, and the university was willing to pay the price of the fallout that accompanies it. That is much on UConn as it is Calhoun. (Not saying it's right and I am glad Duke does not subscribe to that philosophy -- but there is a difference in Connecticut between UConn and Yale).

[BD80]

... I certainly will not miss Calhoun's ethics ...

Why should you? He never did!

Consistent with his nature, he times his departure right before the season starts - so the AD has no choice but to go with Calhoun's chosen successor who is an assistant on staff.

[cspan37421]

Don't forget El-Amin's drug bust (after which he proclaimed himself a "role model")

Oh, I didn't - it's just that, suffice it to say, fanbases who live in glass houses ...

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Why should you? He never did!

Consistent with his nature, he times his departure right before the season starts - so the AD has no choice but to go with Calhoun's chosen successor who is an assistant on staff.

Dean did the same thing for Guthridge - I'm not going to fault him for this, particularly given his health issues.

[Billy Dat]

He built UConn out of nothing, and he was easily one of the best coaches of his era. We may tend to forget that because of his brusque demeanor, our battles with UConn (esp. one or two that sure seemed like was 5 on 8), a scandal or two involving weak sanctions for a player involved in a laptop theft ring, I think something about money, surgery, and an ex-team manager or agent, and poor academic progress. But lately, that last one especially seems quaint. At least UConn didn't lie about their academic progress - at least, not enough to avoid a bad APR and postseason bans.

I did not like the man - I took great pleasure in watching Tennessee beat them last year from the upper level - but I respect his accomplishments. He could flat-out coach.

Ethics aside, Calhoun is one of the giants of the sport, especially because his team's were able to close the deal 3 out of the 4 times they got to the Final Four. In addition, he was one of K's great rivals, a list that is pretty short. Dean Smith, Roy Williams, Tom Izzo, Gary Williams...who else really belongs on the list aside from Calhoun? 4 match-ups in the NCAA tournament including one title game (ugh!!), one final four game (ugh!), one regional final (special!) and one Sweet 16 Game (Koubek!), a bunch of other intense meetings. Aside from Duke/Carolina and Duke/Maryland games, I think the Duke/Kentucky and Duke/Connecticut tilts always get me the most amped up (Michigan used to be this way, too). Kentucky has had many coaches over that span, UConn always only had Calhoun. In contrast to what another poster said, I think College Hoops losing something whenever one of these giants steps down, and it also reminds me of K's mortality. I would be very surprised if the UConn program doesn't take an enormous step back, perhaps for years.