Calhoun in no rush to unveil his future

[UConn Hoops1]

I am fairly confident that Jim Calhoun will be back next season. I might even be willing to wager that he'll be back the year after as well - I think he wants to hand this thing off with the new practice facility open and ready to roll.

Unfortunately, all a recruit will know about is the hand-wringing in the press and the constant whispers into his ear about Calhoun's age and iffy status.

It's been a drag on the program for a couple of years now.

I think, knowing JC's history(goals,accomplishments etc.), that you are right on the money about wanting a practice facility either up and running or damn close to it. I too have little or no doubt that he will be back. I would disagree about his not having the right to "name" a successor. I think that his opinion re: a successor should be the only one that counts. And, if Manual is hedging on Kevin Ollie he's really gone off the rails. The players love him. His NBA connections are impeccable(perhaps even better than JC's). And, from what I have heard and read, he is a very talented,relentless and energetic recruiter. I also agree, given all of the misinformation, dirty tricks etc. at play in recruiting, that he should be announcing his intentions very much sooner than later.


GO HUSKIES!!!

 

[FAIRTIDES]

It's absolutely been a drag on the program, it's like Calhoun purposely drags it out every year. I'm very worried about Calhoun trying to strongarm Ollie into the head coaching position. These things don't often end well when you have a stubborn old legend trying to get his way. Calhoun is my favorite coach ever in any sport but it should not be his decision who takes over, Manuel and Herbst will be the ones whose jobs will be in jeopardy if it's a bad hire, they are the ones who have to make the decision. Calhoun always talks about how proud he is of what he's built here and that we are a program that will be successful long after he is gone, I just hope his stubborness doesn't get in the way.

How can it be good for Ollie if he, somehow, gets the job because of a JC timing and power play? I can't believe KO wants to work for an AD who is, at best, lukewarm on the prospect of hiring him. Why would JC put KO in an untenable situation? My hope is that he would not.

 

[Fishy]

I would disagree about his not having the right to "name" a successor. I think that his opinion re: a successor should be the only one that counts. And, if Manual is hedging on Kevin Ollie he's really gone off the rails. The players love him.

Manuel should hedge - actually, he should do more than hedge.

Kevin Ollie is or will be a fine candidate to coach in college or the NBA, but his resume at the moment would not stand favorably to other candidates who would likely be interested should UConn have an opening. In two years, maybe that's not the case.

It'd be nice to see "our guy" get the job, but we're not picking the president of a fraternity, we're picking the person who can hopefully lead UConn to another title. With that in mind, I would want UConn to pick the best possible candidate. And that decision belongs to Manuel and Herbst and while they should seek Jim Calhoun's input and opinion, they should not delegate it nor should they allow themselves to be forced into a hiring.

 

[UCweCONN]

This is fizukin BS. He said he would be making a decision a week after the national championship and now is playing his annual power play games while the program continues to crumble. No one is bigger than the program. As the old saying goes, "Sh$t or get off the pot." I've really had it with JC. This situation has gotten old quick.

 

[scotty0330]

I am fairly confident that Jim Calhoun will be back next season. I might even be willing to wager that he'll be back the year after as well - I think he wants to hand this thing off with the new practice facility open and ready to roll.

Unfortunately, all a recruit will know about is the hand-wringing in the press and the constant whispers into his ear about Calhoun's age and iffy status.

It's been a drag on the program for a couple of years now.

A freakin men

 

[OneManWolfpack]

I hate this... It feels like he's holding the school hostage by deciding at a certain moment in which if he does retire no coach other than Coach Ollie would get the job

 

[imno1]

Calhoun is a great coach but a horrible PR guy and very inflexible, Our program is elite because of him but also in a mess now partly because of him. He should have said after winning the NC that he's as enthusiastic as ever and plans to fulfill his contract. Instead he says he needs time each year to decide if he'll stay or retire. How does that help him with recruiting or the program? The results are that he is losing supporters and recuits. His stubbornest which has helped him be as successful as he is may be his downfall.

 

[champs99and04]

Calhoun can do what he wants, as far as I'm concerned. At this point I'm not sure if there is much harm with him waiting until August. Unless we can convince an extremely raw big man to join the roster, we're pretty much going into next season with what we have. Considering it's unlikely Calhoun will coach past the 2013-14 season, I'm sure Ollie will be visiting most recruits convincing them to play for HIM. My point is, I don't think Calhoun announcing he'll be back for next season will add as much stability to the program as some of you are hoping. Naming Ollie the coach in waiting would help, however.

 

[Danzz]

I don't get the "why". Why is he doing it this way? How is he benefitting?

Like all coaches, Calhoun is a control freak. He would blow up this board if he could along with every reporter who ever disagreed with him. Coaches are used to being in control and they don't like it when they are not. The announcement delay is probably about Ollie but it could be something more petty.
Manual and/or Herbst should have given him a deadline and I don't mean August. May 1 would have been fair.

 

[61cygni]

Maybe he hasn't actually made up his mind.

 

[upstater]

Probably not. North Carolina went to the Final Four that year. As of right now, UCONN can't even go to the NCAA Tournament...but good thought. Frankly I disagree with this idea that Calhoun can retire, or for that matter keep coaching, whenever it suits him. He has, it seems to me, a responsibility to UCONN to make his decision in a reasonable timeframe, which I think is one where UCONN has a reasonable opportunity to find a replacement. Waiting until August so that there are few options available thereby almost forcing UCONN to name Ollie or some other member of the current staff, while it might be completely right under the terms of his contract, represents bad faith on his part to me.

Maybe UConn should fire him then.

I'm under the impression that there are only a few ways that this works. Either Calhoun works for UConn or he doesn't. Either Calhoun resigns from his position or he doesn't. Either Calhoun is fired from his position or he isn't.

Your post advocates firing Jim Calhoun.

 

[upstater]

The worst situation, for me, is not having Ollie suck at coaching at UConn, but rather, creating a Michigan situation in football, where the supporters and former players bail on the new coach because he wasn't the Michigan guy, and suddenly the lack of support from NBA veterans, alumni and boosters starts feeding on itself. Rich Rodriguez will prove he's a good coach, but he was behind the 8-ball in Michigan. They brought in a Michigan guy to replace him.

 

[upstater]

It appears people misread the article.

It doesn't say Calhoun is waiting until August to make a decision.

 

[djct1999]

I think the growing concern is that this can all end much uglier than it should. or worse, calhoun walks away at a time when the program looks nothing like the elite one he had built over the past 25+years. i thought we all agree that coach has more than earned the right to retire when he chooses. i just hope he isnt strong arming the university into getting his way. and i sure as hell hope that next season, when things turn bleak, that he is actually on the sideline fighting and not at home while blaney is his fill in. a repeat of last year, with him missing almost an entire month, is not fair to the players, program, school, or fans.

 

[Danzz]

It appears people misread the article.

It doesn't say Calhoun is waiting until August to make a decision.

This is what it said: "For the last couple of years, Calhoun has waited until August to make a concrete decision and few expect that to change. "

 

[Uconn93]

We know Calhoun wants Ollie to be the next guy and it seems that Manuel is lukewarm to the idea right now.

Has Coach ever been quoted as saying that he wants Ollie to be the next guy, or is that just something that alot of people have assumed?

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Has Coach ever been quoted as saying that he wants Ollie to be the next guy, or is that just something that alot of people have assumed?

I don't know if he's ever flat out said it on the record, but he has said on the record that he would like to "keep it in the family" and every Uconn beat writer, and even some national writers, have written that he wants it to go to Ollie.

 

[Waquoit]

Maybe UConn should fire him then.

I'm under the impression that there are only a few ways that this works. Either Calhoun works for UConn or he doesn't. Either Calhoun resigns from his position or he doesn't. Either Calhoun is fired from his position or he isn't.

Your post advocates firing Jim Calhoun.

That's quite a leap isn't it. What about saying, "Hey Jim. Help us out. Be reasonable here." And Jim says, "You're right. Let's make an announcement next week."

 

[Matt (Chicago)]

The worst situation, for me, is not having Ollie suck at coaching at UConn, but rather, creating a Michigan situation in football, where the supporters and former players bail on the new coach because he wasn't the Michigan guy, and suddenly the lack of support from NBA veterans, alumni and boosters starts feeding on itself. Rich Rodriguez will prove he's a good coach, but he was behind the 8-ball in Michigan. They brought in a Michigan guy to replace him.

Interesting point - although I dont imagine UConn alums, supporters, players etc possessing the same egostistical blueblood attitude as Michigan, ie you dont see people (other than perhaps Calhoun) clammoring for our next coach to be a "UConn Man." But then again this is uncharted waters for UConn as we now know it (post 1986), so I suppose anything is possible.

 

[The Funster]

Calhoun knows how to play the recruiting game as well as anybody. I can't believe he would cripple the program by faffing around. I agree that August is totally unacceptable. Is it possible that he's waiting until the NCAA makes their final, final decision on the APR thing in June? I have to admit I have a problem with that as well.

I am firmly in the "Calhoun has the right..." camp. However he isn't bigger than the future of the program and at some point the school may have to make the decision for him.

 

[freescooter]

Maybe UConn should fire him then.

I'm under the impression that there are only a few ways that this works. Either Calhoun works for UConn or he doesn't. Either Calhoun resigns from his position or he doesn't. Either Calhoun is fired from his position or he isn't.

Your post advocates firing Jim Calhoun.

If that's what it comes to, if he's trying to pull a power play, yeah. Hey, Penn State wishes they had had the guts to fire Joe Paterno 10 years ago. Florida State wishes they had the guts to fire their legendary coach a few years ago. At some point these guys all thought they were too important to have to abide by the rules, or they stopped winning or both. UCONN obvioulsy owes Calhoun for his years of servce and his success, but Calhoun also has a responsiblity to UCONN, which to some extent he has ignored over the past few years, to at a minimum not leave the program in bad shape. I'm sure his contract probably has an out clause for both parties, even if nobody expected to use it, and I would hope Manuel has the guts to use it if it needs to be. This is big time and big business. There is really no place for sentiment...and you know what, if Calhoun gets dumped and replaced with Mark Few and Few wins a title in 2016, everyone will say "Jim Who?"

 

[Hoophound]

If that's what it comes to, if he's trying to pull a power play, yeah. Hey, Penn State wishes they had had the guts to fire Joe Paterno 10 years ago. Florida State wishes they had the guts to fire their legendary coach a few years ago. At some point these guys all thought they were too important to have to abide by the rules, or they stopped winning or both. UCONN obvioulsy owes Calhoun for his years of servce and his success, but Calhoun also has a responsiblity to UCONN, which to some extent he has ignored over the past few years, to at a minimum not leave the program in bad shape. I'm sure his contract probably has an out clause for both parties, even if nobody expected to use it, and I would hope Manuel has the guts to use it if it needs to be. This is big time and big business. There is really no place for sentiment...and you know what, if Calhoun gets dumped and replaced with Mark Few and Few wins a title in 2016, everyone will say "Jim Who?"

This is a different than the situation with Peterno or Bowden. JC won the 2011 National Championship and went to the Final Four in 2009. He has more political capital than most aging coaches due in terms of recent results on the field. These guys that need a push out the door almost never have the recent success that JC has.

I wish he would just commit to a number of years and play it out. Maybe the Ollie succession plan needs a try. If its a no on Ollie, tell coach that it isn't happening and ask him to decide whether or not to retire by June 1 or something along those lines. Better to air it out than let it fester.

 

[upstater]

This is what it said: "For the last couple of years, Calhoun has waited until August to make a concrete decision and few expect that to change. "

Who are few?

 

[upstater]

That's quite a leap isn't it. What about saying, "Hey Jim. Help us out. Be reasonable here." And Jim says, "You're right. Let's make an announcement next week."

How is it quite a leap? It says the decision should not be left up to him.

 

[upstater]

If that's what it comes to, if he's trying to pull a power play, yeah. Hey, Penn State wishes they had had the guts to fire Joe Paterno 10 years ago. Florida State wishes they had the guts to fire their legendary coach a few years ago. At some point these guys all thought they were too important to have to abide by the rules, or they stopped winning or both. UCONN obvioulsy owes Calhoun for his years of servce and his success, but Calhoun also has a responsiblity to UCONN, which to some extent he has ignored over the past few years, to at a minimum not leave the program in bad shape. I'm sure his contract probably has an out clause for both parties, even if nobody expected to use it, and I would hope Manuel has the guts to use it if it needs to be. This is big time and big business. There is really no place for sentiment...and you know what, if Calhoun gets dumped and replaced with Mark Few and Few wins a title in 2016, everyone will say "Jim Who?"

Why would firing Paterno 10 years ago have helped?

It would have crippled the program for many years if they had done that. I don't think you understand the level of support he had.