Geno fires shot at Calhoun in Seth Davis interview

[CL82]

Link to video

Geno should have known better than to be suckered into this by Davis.

 

[UConnCat]

That's hardly a shot. He's said worse about Calhoun. Nothing new there.

 

[CocoHusky]

Wow! did not realize there was a rift there (Geno vs. Jim) Does anyone have the background on this-just the juicy parts?

 

[EricLA]

He doesn't really have a choice over what questions he is asked. I liked how honest his comments were. When Calhoun was a coach, he was very old school, had a short fuse, and very famously went off on people on a somewhat frequent time line. "Not a dime back", and "Get some facts, then come back and see me", as well as the famous "I duckked up" when asked for the 10th time about missing out on local recruit Ryan Gomes.

I was unaware that Geno felt JC "looked down" on the program. Geno clearly understands that in the grand scheme, at a BCS school, football is king, followed by MCBB and then followed by WCBB. But he felt JC had issues with the amount of publicity the women's team got, and not knowing the specifics of their interpersonal relationship, I can't speak to the veracity of that.

I don't doubt that if the men's board gets a hold of this they will have some salty things to say about Geno, but given how good the relationship is between Geno and Kevin, I think it's sort of water under the bridge at this point...

 

[Farney]

I have no issues with what he said. If he felt Calhoun was disrespecting another team on campus then its justified. Its ok to recognize, as Geno does, that football and men's hoops come at the top of the money making pecking order. That's reality. But every sport deserves equal respect regardless of how much money they bring (or lose) for the university.

 

[cabbie191]

But every sport deserves equal respect regardless of how much money they bring (or lose) for the university.

For many years, Wisconsin was at the bottom or near bottom of the Big Ten (when it really was the Big Ten!) in football. That changed when Barry Alvarez took over the coaching reigns. Folks in the state were ecstatic when he won his first title and went to the Rose Bowl. Big time event, big time payout - or so everyone thought at first, until the university's bean counters announced that the football program lost hundreds of thousands of dollars going to Pasadena. Seems that in the excitement, Alvarez let way too many people to go California on the university's dime.

 

[lanieer]

That's old news. There was in interview in Sports Illustrated two years ago in which Geno said the same. Geno said when he was at Virginia all the coaches went out for drinks but not with Calhoun. Just a personality thing between two very dynamic people. It happens. Both men were extremely successful and they weren't best buddies.

 

[rocky rococo]

That's old news. There was in interview in Sports Illustrated two years ago in which Geno said the same. Geno said when he was at Virginia all the coaches went out for drinks but not with Calhoun. Just a personality thing between two very dynamic people. It happens. Both men were extremely successful and they weren't best buddies.

Thank you. I was just about to post likewise. Just some reporter looking to score eyeballs by dragging up ancient dirt.
.

 

[ocoandasoc]

In the early 90’s as Geno’s program was on the rise Coach Calhoun got very tired of reporters asking him about the success of the women’s team. Rather than being gracious or encouraging, he chose to be dismissive and derogatory, even being a bit insulting in describing the women’s fan base. (The final straw might have been the unofficial bumper sticker from that period that read: “UCONN: Where men are men and women go to the Final Four.”) The relationship between Jim and Geno turned icy…. And never thawed, simple as that. It also didn’t help that Geno charmed the media while Jim’s relationship was often much more confrontational. But I don’t think that their relationship was ever a problem for the University or adversely affected either program.

 

[watanabe]

I met Jim at a couple away games. He was always a perfect gentleman. He would always go out of his way to be cordial and to welcome a fan. Gota admit though, being a head coach of a successful program can be hard to do without an ego (which I never personally saw off the court). Imagine beating SC by such a large margin and having a "professional" vote against you in the coaches poll. Cracks in relationships will develop over time. You know Geno knows who voted against the Huskies in the latest coaches poll, and why.

 

[nan linds]

What? NOTHING? Can't imagine where you are coming from. The men's program has not been so successful. "Please understand that or don't comment!" Are you an Administrator?

 

[Woof 101]

Wow! did not realize there was a rift there (Geno vs. Jim) Does anyone have the background on this-just the juicy parts?

He doesn't really have a choice over what questions he is asked. I liked how honest his comments were. When Calhoun was a coach, he was very old school, had a short fuse, and very famously went off on people on a somewhat frequent time line. "Not a dime back", and "Get some facts, then come back and see me", as well as the famous "I duckked up" when asked for the 10th time about missing out on local recruit Ryan Gomes.

I was unaware that Geno felt JC "looked down" on the program. Geno clearly understands that in the grand scheme, at a BCS school, football is king, followed by MCBB and then followed by WCBB. But he felt JC had issues with the amount of publicity the women's team got, and not knowing the specifics of their interpersonal relationship, I can't speak to the veracity of that.

I don't doubt that if the men's board gets a hold of this they will have some salty things to say about Geno, but given how good the relationship is between Geno and Kevin, I think it's sort of water under the bridge at this point...

Working with a slow computer while watching the game so I will not provide links. The rift was deep in the early years over everything from signage to the size of office space and practice space and time. Jim was doing good things and not a fan of the woman's game. Probably not even a fan of Title 9. It did create many not so comfortable moments for the school and the staff. I was very apparent even during the first dual championship celebrations the ice had only softened.
KO being a JC prodigy has surprisingly gone out of his way and shown Geno the love and also take advice.
As for football being any concern we were only 1AA at the time and UCONN was all about basketball...Big Lou came along...OK ...Google away for the rest...

 

[zyron]

Jim was doing good things and not a fan of the woman's game. Probably not even a fan of Title 9. It did create many not so comfortable moments for the school and the staff. I was very apparent even during the first dual championship celebrations the ice had only softened.
KO being a JC prodigy has surprisingly gone out of his way and shown Geno the love and also take advice.
As for football being any concern we were only 1AA at the time and UCONN was all about basketball...Big Lou came along...OK ...Google away for the rest...

I heard Geno beats the UConn dog mascot.



Since we are just making things up now.

 

[arch]

Both JC and Geno can be bungholes but Geno's is right about JC denigrating the women's program, both privately and publicly. It was wrong and it was stupid.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Calhoun coaches circles around Geno. Not that anyone on this board would admit it... I know the games are so much different, but Calhoun made Uconn basketball.

 

[UConnDan97]

I've already posted this post on the men's tab, but I'll post it here too:

Both men created UConn greatness from almost nothing.
Both men have my respect and my "Bleed Blue" love.
But there's no doubt in my mind that what Geno said was true. And there's no reason that it should have become true. All one has to do is look at the relationship that Ollie and Auriemma currently have. And quite frankly, that's how it should be...

 

[calpedaler]

I question Huskyforlife's title of Best Poster. I vote for UConnDan97.

 

[UConnDan97]

I question Huskyforlife's title of Best Poster. I vote for UConnDan97.

I'll second that motion...

 

[Woof 101]

I heard Geno beats the UConn dog mascot.



Since we are just making things up now.

You are obviously young and should be spanked for not doing any homework before hitting reply. I am and have been a fan of both the men and the woman long before either Jim or Geno arrived. I have a deep respect for both, still attend a few games a year and watch 'em all. Football season ticket holder for years now, absolutely no reason at all to make anything up or post it here.
I am a big time UCONN fan and mean no harm but you can't change history. With time and maturity you will understand like you and I, even your heroes have flaws.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

I read the title if this thread and immediately wondered by Geno would say something about Sierra Calhoun. Glad I watched the video!!

 

[zyron]

You are obviously young and should be spanked for not doing any homework before hitting reply. I am and have been a fan of both the men and the woman long before either Jim or Geno arrived. I have a deep respect for both, still attend a few games a year and watch 'em all. Football season ticket holder for years now, absolutely no reason at all to make anything up or post it here.
I am a big time UCONN fan and mean no harm but you can't change history. With time and maturity you will understand like you and I, even your heroes have flaws.

So show me where Jim Calhoun ever said or implied that he was against Title 9.

 

[Geno-ista]

If Geno isn't a great coach, and his success was mostly because of the men's program---then how come every other womens Program that is accompanied with a great Mens BB program, hasnt risen to our heights on the women's side??? Kentucky, Louisville, Duke, Michigan, Mich State, UCLA....????

 

[MilfordHusky]

I read the title if this thread and immediately wondered by Geno would say something about Sierra Calhoun. Glad I watched the video!!

I was thinking Sierra or Omar, Sr.

 

[watanabe]

So show me where Jim Calhoun ever said or implied that he was against Title 9.

In the 80s, when title 9 came in, the $ did not follow it. The powers that be did not add to the infrastructure to address the womens program, they took away from the men's. It was clearly reverse discrimination. For better or worse, the men's programs were decimated. This lasted through the 80s to the 90s when funding finally started catching up. Old school men were impacted by it. Geno grew his program taking gym time from the men's program as well as other facilities (not that they didn't deserve to have some resources). His program expanded, while the Men's program contracted. For better or worse, that was the way it was. It did however have some lasting impacts to the program personnel that were impacted negatively.
I guess that's life.

 

[tomcat]

There is no doubt that having a successful men's program helped the women's program in a number of ways. But the idea that the women's program would not have succeeded at all without the men's is nonsense. Calhoun was a terrific coach in his time, but most if not all of what he did to help the women's team was incidental -- it happened because Calhoun and the men's team were successful, and that improved the image of the University as a basketball school for all recruits.