Blurb on Calhoun's Retirement Timeline in ESPN Update

[OkaForPrez]

Maybe I missed the thread on this or maybe its just accepted knowledge, but I came across this quote here in a Katz update.

Calhoun, who turns 70 in May, said two weeks ago that he does not want to retire. And multiple sources told ESPN.com that Calhoun wouldn't want to end his career in this manner, and would like to see the new basketball facility built before quitting.

This makes sense to me. Prepare the program for the best fit transition into the post JC era with a brand new practice facility to go along with the UConn brand and hopefully have enough continued success to usher in the new era.

In terms of what this means, the only nugget of timeline I've heard around the practice facility was from Pendergast in the Werth Article here.

"This will, hopefully, inspire many people," Pendergast said. "We do have a lot going on with people potentially making similar gifts, if not more. I'm head down working as hard as I can to get this facility built for the men and women.​

"With some luck, we can have this completed in 2013 or the beginning of 2014."​

Knowing how these projects go, I assume 2014 would be the earliest they actually wrap things up. I also take Calhoun at his word, barring (god forbid) any other unforeseen medical issues. I know most around here shut down when the slightest thought of Calhoun retiring enters their brains, but the "next guy" conversations are more tolerated around here lately.

The question is, would you sign on for through 2014 right now? I'm sure that most would say yes. The scary part is I believe that to be optimistic and when the optimistic view is only two more seasons, one of which might come with a post season ban, it really underscores that we are on borrowed time with the architect of our passion.

Its been an up and down frustrating year. I said it at the halfway point, cherish every game from here on out. Find a way to Storrs on Saturday and cheer like mad if Jimmy does in fact come back. Let him know.

 

[Fishy]

I think 900 wins means something to him and the completion of the hoop facility helps his successor keep things rolling - which is also important to him.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I think 900 wins means something to him and the completion of the hoop facility helps his successor keep things rolling - which is also important to him.

Do you think they're going to give it to Ollie, or go outside the program ?

 

[Fishy]

Honestly, given that time frame, and given that there's a relatively new president and a brand-spankin' new athletic director, I would say that question is impossible to answer right now.

 

[Dann]

its 2012. were up the wazu in ncaa bullpoop. the pf is breaking ground and jc is having health issues. new pres, new ad, new staff under jc and ast coach has forgettimers(it seems like).

12-13 -get over 900 win mark, get the ncaa stuff figured out. new pres and ad are rolling along. ko and other guys are molding a takeover in the process in a couple years(kind of like what would have happen at psu football without the past fall stuff....(please don't turn this thread around on this)
13-14- over the 925 win mark. walls are being painted in the pf. name ko/kh coach crew in waiting and if that doesn't happen then we know pres/warde are going outside the family in the end. ko/kh right now recruit kids telling them they are the answer after jc but i mean what else would u say? so who knows really right now. most likely the family is on the bench tho with a new guy if they don't get the job outright. my 2 cents...
14-15- over 950 mark. we are in the new pf and there are no lingering ncaa issues. a ncaa run of any sort past the sweet16 and this is it for jc imho. a rebuilding year from previous sucess of some sort and i bet he gives it 2 more years.

 

[Jaker]

the NC's mean more than the wins, last years team rejuvenated him again, this years may end it.

 

[jibsey]

Brad Stevens may realize he is not going to always repeat what he has done at Butler so far. We could have our coaching settled for the next 20 years. Love coach and what he has done is beyond discussion, but his health is and has been an issue on many fronts.

 

[Vuce]

The timeline (as it is proposed) does make sense. I think JC definitely wants to get Uconn through this APR and Nate Miles fall out first. Then he would LOVE to spend a year in that new practice facility. I think he has seen the plans and been involved with the planning - that has to be exciting for him. The 900 wins will take care of themselves if he sticks around and I am sure it is something he would like to reach.

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

the hiring of the new coach will also be impacted on what conference the school is in. If it is still the Big East...well, there is a chance that athletic and TV revenues will be down and the option to hire a big name/up and comer coach won't be there. If they have an invite to the ACC/Big 10/Big 12 for 2014 then there would be a lot more comfort going out and bringing in a high salaried coach

 

[sparky]

No to Ollie. I have to see more from him before I give him the keys to the mansion.

 

[NutmegState]

the hiring of the new coach will also be impacted on what conference the school is in. If it is still the Big East...well, there is a chance that athletic and TV revenues will be down and the option to hire a big name/up and comer coach won't be there. If they have an invite to the ACC/Big 10/Big 12 for 2014 then there would be a lot more comfort going out and bringing in a high salaried coach

The TV revenues will be increased in the new Big East.

 

[Henry]

I don't think Calhoun is the person to lead a transition to a new coach. He is not a coach who has a system. He coaches by his gut and guts. You cannot teach that. Also, he will quit when he is ready. Most athletes and coaches do not recognize when the time is right. There is never a perfect time and it often leads to an awkward departure. At some point, his wife and family need to tell him, it's time.

 

[Fishy]

The TV revenues will be increased in the new Big East.

Highly debatable.

 

[UConn990411]

Highly debatable.

No, it's not.

I feel pretty confident saying they won't be.

 

[tykurez]

I hope this turns into another "xxx should/shouldn't be the next coach because he is a god/nincompoop" thread because we haven't had enough of those recently.

 

[RuffRuff]

Have always thought that catching Bobby Knight and cementing himself as third on the all time wins list was a big milestone for him. When you can put yourself ahead of guys like Bobby Knight, Dean Smith and Adolph Rupp, you are in the stratosphere of greats. He'll never catch K or Boeheim at this rate.

A guy like Calhoun doesn't get where he is without some ego and I'm sure that marker has some major appeal for him.

 

[Jaker]

Be a Bohiem type coach, lots of wins and only 1 NC, or 6-700 wins and 3 NC's, If I was Coaching I would want the latter of the 2. People remember you by the NC's more than the over all win.

 

[baggerbob]

As an outsider i'm hoping Jim coaches at least long enough for UCONN to join Syr in the ACC so we have 2 schools kicking Duke and North Carolina *****. Nothing could be sweeter then hearing Duke and North Carolina fans complaining about bringing those outsiders into our conference.

 

[willie99]

most UConn fans, especially Calhoun fans, think there's no doubt he's coming back

it's mostly the clueless outsiders that really don't know the man at all that think he's going to retire

 

[Ts5034]

I thought he was on the record saying that if they won it all back in 2009 that he probably would have retired. I swear i heard him say that in an interview with Francesa after that season. Thats why i had a feeling he may have decided to leave last year after winning it. Now from everything you hear Calhoun really has no plans to retire as long as hes able to walk.

 

[uconndoit]

I'm calling 2 more seasons - gets us past the postseason ban, a little more time to find a replacement or mentor Ollie, gets JC over 900 in lifetime wins. On second thought, 1000 wins has a nice ring to it...

 

[HuskyHawk]

I don't see him going out under the current circumstances. He will want to leave on his own terms. We all know that. He's one tough SOB. With that said, and with every appreciation for what he has done, I don't want to see him pull a Paterno. I don't think he has much left in the tank at this point from a physical perspective.

I think he finishes the season and thinks long and hard about whether his body will let him finish next season. He will not want to have to step down mid-season. I think if we can make a run to the Sweet 16, he may call it a career. I'm not sure the postseason ban next year hurts a new coach. In many ways it provides a one year grace period.

 

[IMind]

I thought he was on the record saying that if they won it all back in 2009 that he probably would have retired. I swear i heard him say that in an interview with Francesa after that season. Thats why i had a feeling he may have decided to leave last year after winning it. Now from everything you hear Calhoun really has no plans to retire as long as hes able to walk.

I think that with the talent on the roster now he's got to think that he's got as good a shot as anyone in the country at another run at a title in the next couple of years. Don't discount what catching Coach K would mean.

That being said I think mostly it's about going out on his terms... not forced out by a medical condition.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

I'm pretty confident in saying that Jim Calhoun's single biggest goal for the remainder of his career is to ensure that the program will be in strong shape and good hands when he finally does leave. This means at least three things to me:

1) Practice facility - seems like it's finally a reality, just need to see the shovels go into the ground to feel safe.
2) Scholarship restrictions and possible postseason ineligibility - There is no way that Calhoun is going to hand over a program to another coach that is ineligible for postseason play. Talking about stacking the deck against the next guy. Calhoun didn't even want another coach to serve the 3 game suspension this year.
3) Getting Ollie ready - It's pretty clear that Ollie is JC's guy and every year of experience that Ollie gets makes it slightly more likely that he will succeed.

If Calhoun's healthy, I think he plays out his current contract and makes sure that as many of these concerns go away as possible.

 

[Huskymaniac]

The only thing that will get Ollie ready is to kick his arse out of the nest so he can fly on his own for a while, somewhere else. Frankly, this team is a trainwreck so I question if any of the assistants would be good options. If they were, they would have figured out how to fix this ship while Calhoun has been struggling with his health. We went outside to get Calhoun. If they are all still alive, get that search committee back together to find his successor.