Calhoun to retire

[Drumguy]

Hearing it on the radio.

 

[Ctpaul0825]

Also front page of courant.com

 

[vtcwbuff]

It's time.

 

[Icebear]

It was a great run, Jim!

 

[VAMike23]

There are other coaches with multiple NCs, but how many can say that their teams "shocked the world" not once, but twice? 1999, 2011 - each team did that in their own way. (2004 might have been a favorite but I honestly don't recall.)

Like Ice said, a great run

 

[Samanthabrown3]

I saw it on the crawl on ESPN. Quite a change at UConn, but probably the best thing for Calhoun and his health.

It was a great run.

 

[Phil]

Kind of a busy sports day. Who wudda guessed that ND going to the ACC would be the # 2 story of the day?

 

[VAUConnFan]

It's time.

Agreed!

It seems that for most of these basketball junkies, stepping down is downright difficult.

 

[VAUConnFan]

There are other coaches with multiple NCs, but how many can say that their teams "shocked the world" not once, but twice? 1999, 2011 - each team did that in their own way. (2004 might have been a favorite but I honestly don't recall.)

Like Ice said, a great run

That 1999 team only lost two games. But, you are right, that Duke team was supposed to be unstoppable. UConn set the tempo and never took their off off the gas.

The 2004 team, pretty mcuh, ran the table from start to finish. There was a Sports Illustrated cover with Okafor and Taurasi touting UConn as the preseason Number 1 for both the men and the women. The women was an easy call, they were the defending champs. I attended the Big East Tournament in 2003, the year Syracuse went on to claim the national championship and I thought Connecticut was the better team that year, and knew they would be a tough out the following year.

I thought the 2006 team was the best team UConn ever had, only to be upset by George Mason.

Scoff if you want, but the 2011 run was inspired by an incredible post by MakersMuppet(sp?) on the men's board prior to the Big East Tournament, Time To Take off The Pampers. There will never be a better forum post anywhere.

 

[alexrgct]

It's a sad day. May have been time, but nevertheless, it's a sad day in Connecticut.

Although Jim and Geno didn't always see eye to eye, you can't think of one without the other. Geno is a great, great coach in his own right, but he benefitted from facilities upgrades just as he was getting his WBB program to a good spot (i.e., the 1991 Final Four run). That helped him take the program to the next level, and those facilities upgrades (and increased national profile of UConn in general) wouldn't have happened without the men's team exploding onto the national scene at the same time. It's said that when Kerry Bascom told people where she was going to school, they thought she was talking about a territory in northwestern Canada. By the time she graduated, no one would make that mistake again. Kerry Bascom herself had something to do with that, but he men's team played a huge part as well.

But Jim's record stands on its own without having to talk about his residual positive impact on Geno's.

Jim Calhoun is a force of nature. Tough, funny, mean, irrascible, blunt, larger than life, caring, decent, a jerk, a humanitarian, and a pain in the ass. To whitewash his personality or his record would be a disservice to him because people deserve to be loved and respected for who they really are. And he was all of those things, for better or for worse.

He was also a man who made his way to a regional school in a cow town in northeastern Connecticut and turned its basketball program into a national powerhouse. It's one of the most impressive coaching jobs in recent sports history. There isn't a local recruiting base- only regional and try convincing a kid from NYC that he needs to spend four years in Storrs, CT. He's recruited talent, but it's not like every year brought a recruiting class full of McD's AAs like Kentucky, Duke, and UNC. He sometimes took chances on kids with questionable backgrounds. Sometimes it worked for him and changed the life of a young man in the process. Other times, it didn't work out. But he should be lauded for taking the chances he did, for fielding teams that competed as hard as they did, for imposing his tough, intractable will on young men who played for him.

With all due respect to Coach K (and I have nothing but respect for him), I believe Jim Calhoun could have gone to Duke and built a dominant program there. I'm not sure Coach K could have come to Storrs and done what Jim did. And if Coach K couldn't, who else could?

So the question is if no one else could have in 1986, can someone carry forward what Jim built now? We all certainly hope so. But that's something to worry about tomorrow. For tonight, I simply say thank you to one of the absolute lions in the history of the sport. You were one of a kind. In one sense, more's the pity. In another, greatness deserves to be appreciated for being unique and special. Jim Calhoun was great. He was a champion. He was an underdog who became a favorite. He was great for the state of Connecticut, and I miss him already.

 

[VAMike23]

It's a sad day. May have been time, but nevertheless, it's a sad day in Connecticut.

Although Jim and Geno didn't always see eye to eye, you can't think of one without the other. Geno is a great, great coach in his own right, but he benefitted from facilities upgrades just as he was getting his WBB program to a good spot (i.e., the 1991 Final Four run). That helped him take the program to the next level, and those facilities upgrades (and increased national profile of UConn in general) wouldn't have happened without the men's team exploding onto the national scene at the same time. It's said that when Kerry Bascom told people where she was going to school, they thought she was talking about a territory in northwestern Canada. By the time she graduated, no one would make that mistake again. Kerry Bascom herself had something to do with that, but he men's team played a huge part as well.

But Jim's record stands on its own without having to talk about his residual positive impact on Geno's.

Jim Calhoun is a force of nature. Tough, funny, mean, irrascible, blunt, larger than life, caring, decent, a jerk, a humanitarian, and a pain in the ass. To whitewash his personality or his record would be a disservice to him because people deserve to be loved and respected for who they really are. And he was all of those things, for better or for worse.

He was also a man who made his way to a regional school in a cow town in northeastern Connecticut and turned its basketball program into a national powerhouse. It's one of the most impressive coaching jobs in recent sports history. There isn't a local recruiting base- only regional and try convincing a kid from NYC that he needs to spend four years in Storrs, CT. He's recruited talent, but it's not like every year brought a recruiting class full of McD's AAs like Kentucky, Duke, and UNC. He sometimes took chances on kids with questionable backgrounds. Sometimes it worked for him and changed the life of a young man in the process. Other times, it didn't work out. But he should be lauded for taking the chances he did, for fielding teams that competed as hard as they did, for imposing his tough, intractable will on young men who played for him.

With all due respect to Coach K (and I have nothing but respect for him), I believe Jim Calhoun could have gone to Duke and built a dominant program there. I'm not sure Coach K could have come to Storrs and done what Jim did. And if Coach K couldn't, who else could?

So the question is if no one else could have in 1986, can someone carry forward what Jim built now? We all certainly hope so. But that's something to worry about tomorrow. For tonight, I simply say thank you to one of the absolute lions in the history of the sport. You were one of a kind. In one sense, more's the pity. In another, greatness deserves to be appreciated for being unique and special. Jim Calhoun was great. He was a champion. He was an underdog who became a favorite. He was great for the state of Connecticut, and I miss him already.

Great post.

 

[Dairyair]

Thanks, Jim...what a ride!!

 

[Blakeon18]

FWIW: I have had 2 rather lengthy conversations with JC. The first was at St. Thomas More where I was watching a high level boys' game and JC happened to sit down next to me....recruiting someone. Coincidently Kevin Ollie was a frosh or soph at UConn at that point. UConn had also recruited Travis Best of Springfield who I had seen many times.
We had a detailed discussion of the attributes of both...me liking Travis better for his shooting and scoring ability...JC preferring Kevin for overall point guard skills and defense. He was very chatty and friendly.

I happened to run into him outside a convenience store in Storrs soon after the 1999 championship. I had read he had just played a round at Augusta National....I think for the first time. After the 'congratulations' on the ring I asked some question about that round. He immediately stopped and went on and on about the holes/irons he hit/pin positions et al....all perfectly understandable for anybody who loves golf and has that chance to play there. His passion for basketball didn't negate in any way his love for a hobby.

I hope he stays with UConn in some fashion....I think he would be a great fund-raiser for the athletic department....and specifically for the new practice facility. I just love his New England roots. I recall that he was invited by George Steinbrenner to throw out the first ball at a Yankee game. It was zero surprise that his Boston roots had him turning it down in a NYC minute.

 

[mauconnfan]

FWIW: I have had 2 rather lengthy conversations with JC. The first was at St. Thomas More where I was watching a high level boys' game and JC happened to sit down next to me....recruiting someone. Coincidently Kevin Ollie was a frosh or soph at UConn at that point. UConn had also recruited Travis Best of Springfield who I had seen many times.
We had a detailed discussion of the attributes of both...me liking Travis better for his shooting and scoring ability...JC preferring Kevin for overall point guard skills and defense. He was very chatty and friendly.

I happened to run into him outside a convenience store in Storrs soon after the 1999 championship. I had read he had just played a round at Augusta National....I think for the first time. After the 'congratulations' on the ring I asked some question about that round. He immediately stopped and went on and on about the holes/irons he hit/pin positions et al....all perfectly understandable for anybody who loves golf and has that chance to play there. His passion for basketball didn't negate in any way his love for a hobby.

I hope he stays with UConn in some fashion....I think he would be a great fund-raiser for the athletic department....and specifically for the new practice facility. I just love his New England roots. I recall that he was invited by George Steinbrenner to throw out the first ball at a Yankee game. It was zero surprise that his Boston roots had him turning it down in a NYC minute.

Great story blake and understandable on the Augusta discussion. When I had a discussion with donny Marshall recently I talked of his golf course and his game as the guys in the spotlight appreciate you know they have hobbies outside of what they are best know for......nice job and great read.....

Unfortunately I'm sure this was one of JC's greatest regrets....not walking on to the mound at the the greatest stadium in the history of sporting events that is!! LOL

 

[HiDribble]

Think Tarkanian and Calipari. Too bad about the exit.

 

[mauconnfan]

Think Tarkanian and Calipari. Too bad about the exit.

Huh?? Hope you aren't grouping JC with those 2?

 

[CL82]

It's a sad day. May have been time, but nevertheless, it's a sad day in Connecticut.

Although Jim and Geno didn't always see eye to eye, you can't think of one without the other. Geno is a great, great coach in his own right, but he benefitted from facilities upgrades just as he was getting his WBB program to a good spot (i.e., the 1991 Final Four run). That helped him take the program to the next level, and those facilities upgrades (and increased national profile of UConn in general) wouldn't have happened without the men's team exploding onto the national scene at the same time. It's said that when Kerry Bascom told people where she was going to school, they thought she was talking about a territory in northwestern Canada. By the time she graduated, no one would make that mistake again. Kerry Bascom herself had something to do with that, but he men's team played a huge part as well.

But Jim's record stands on its own without having to talk about his residual positive impact on Geno's.

Jim Calhoun is a force of nature. Tough, funny, mean, irrascible, blunt, larger than life, caring, decent, a jerk, a humanitarian, and a pain in the ass. To whitewash his personality or his record would be a disservice to him because people deserve to be loved and respected for who they really are. And he was all of those things, for better or for worse.

He was also a man who made his way to a regional school in a cow town in northeastern Connecticut and turned its basketball program into a national powerhouse. It's one of the most impressive coaching jobs in recent sports history. There isn't a local recruiting base- only regional and try convincing a kid from NYC that he needs to spend four years in Storrs, CT. He's recruited talent, but it's not like every year brought a recruiting class full of McD's AAs like Kentucky, Duke, and UNC. He sometimes took chances on kids with questionable backgrounds. Sometimes it worked for him and changed the life of a young man in the process. Other times, it didn't work out. But he should be lauded for taking the chances he did, for fielding teams that competed as hard as they did, for imposing his tough, intractable will on young men who played for him.

With all due respect to Coach K (and I have nothing but respect for him), I believe Jim Calhoun could have gone to Duke and built a dominant program there. I'm not sure Coach K could have come to Storrs and done what Jim did. And if Coach K couldn't, who else could?

So the question is if no one else could have in 1986, can someone carry forward what Jim built now? We all certainly hope so. But that's something to worry about tomorrow. For tonight, I simply say thank you to one of the absolute lions in the history of the sport. You were one of a kind. In one sense, more's the pity. In another, greatness deserves to be appreciated for being unique and special. Jim Calhoun was great. He was a champion. He was an underdog who became a favorite. He was great for the state of Connecticut, and I miss him already.

Nice post.

 

[UConnChapette]

Think Tarkanian and Calipari. Too bad about the exit.

Troll alert!