Why do people want Calhoun back? That would be terrible for the program. Shows desperation
I wasn’t at all in favor of it initially, but I recognize some intrigue to the idea if you look at it more as incubation, rather than a long term solution.
If Benedict does not believe any currently available candidate is a long term, championship-caliber, solution, then he can roll the dice and bring in Calhoun for a couple of years. That buys Benedict time to continue the search for who he believes is the best long term solution, while he employs a coach that could not only sell tickets based on sheer excitement and nostalgia but also (presumably) make the most of the current roster. Calhoun could, conceivably, ride the core group of Vital-Gilbert-Wilson-Carlton for a couple of years (supplemented by Jalen Adams in one year and maybe a one-and-done guard in the other).
Obviously, recruiting multi-year players would become extremely complicated and the program would have to become extremely creative to bring those kids in. It also puts the program back in rebuilding mode as soon as Calhoun retires again.
The negatives (including intangibles like possible damage to Calhoun’s coaching reputation) are plenty. On balance, it likely isn’t the best choice. But I do see how Calhoun can be brought in just to bring us afloat once again, after which we once again search for a hot shot championship-caliber coach.
