How would Calhoun fair in the transfer era? | The Boneyard

How would Calhoun fair in the transfer era?

UconnU

Demolish the XL center.
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
7,582
Reaction Score
30,770
Just curious as to your thoughts on this. JC used to go way out of his way to try to toughen up soft players and underclassmen. He would always have assistants to play good cop. But I don’t see anyway that if he coached now how he coached in say the 90s that he wouldn’t have massive amounts of transfers? There are practice stories that I’m sure some of you can share that go well beyond the issues some of these players transferring have with their coach.
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
1,484
Reaction Score
4,853
He’s Jim F’in Calhoun - he’d adapt. He’s the GOAT.

One thing: He didn’t choose a lot of soft kids.

Lot of soft kids took the easy road of Dooks of the world or whatever garbage coach was the $$$ distributor (Pearl, Wade, Miller of today) of the day.
 
Joined
Aug 9, 2016
Messages
118
Reaction Score
603
He would have excelled. For every one kid who left, there would be two kids knocking on his door wanting to transfer in.
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2016
Messages
3,567
Reaction Score
7,660
Just curious as to your thoughts on this. JC used to go way out of his way to try to toughen up soft players and underclassmen. He would always have assistants to play good cop. But I don’t see anyway that if he coached now how he coached in say the 90s that he wouldn’t have massive amounts of transfers? There are practice stories that I’m sure some of you can share that go well beyond the issues some of these players transferring have with their coach.
Keep in mind he lost a few to transfer. Curtis kelly. Scotty hazelton. Wiggins ( I think) I just wonder what his reach to the international players would like as he had such deep connections for most of his career.
 

CTBasketball

Former Owner of the Pizza Thread
Joined
Aug 27, 2012
Messages
9,670
Reaction Score
31,220
Two words: Johnny Time
Proud Of You Yes GIF
 
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
12,298
Reaction Score
19,587
Oh he would have been awful. A total failure. Probably would have ended up coaching in D3 at some start up program somewhere.

The great coaches would have been great in any era. Just like great athletes. They would approach things differently and adjusted to the new realities. My father was a really good amateur golfer. He got to play in a group with Bobby Jones one time when Jones was retired from competitive golf but played exhibitions for charity. Dad had played in various regional and state tournament and had played in several US Open qualifiers. He said he never saw anyone as focused on golf as Jones. His concentration and understanding of every element. Could a guy like that play with graphite shafts and other modern equipment? I suspect he could somehow. It would be the same with Calhoun coaching. He would adapt. And succeed.
 
Joined
Nov 25, 2019
Messages
2,083
Reaction Score
6,553
I have no fear that he would fare fairly well.
To be fare, I'm not sure you're phairly assessing the situation.

The 1989 Calhoun? Who would want to play for a coach with records of 9-19, 20-14 and 18-13 in his first three years?

The 2011 Calhoun had put more than two dozen players in "the league" and would have attracted just about anyone he pursued, in spite of his reputation for being a hard_ss.
 
Joined
Mar 20, 2018
Messages
2,752
Reaction Score
8,311
Kids don't like tough, in your face coaches nowadays. He wouldn't have faired well. Players want coaches to be their buddy, not their drill sergeant.
 
Joined
Aug 17, 2011
Messages
14,289
Reaction Score
78,487
Kids don't like tough, in your face coaches nowadays. He wouldn't have faired well. Players want coaches to be their buddy, not their drill sergeant.
But some kids do like that. So if you're a coach who coaches like that then you recruit players who fit your style. Unfortunately that does severely limit your options, which isn't ideal.
 
Joined
May 7, 2014
Messages
14,397
Reaction Score
29,017
Kids don't like tough, in your face coaches nowadays. He wouldn't have faired well. Players want coaches to be their buddy, not their drill sergeant.
Where along the spectrum from buddy to drill instructor would you place DH?
 

willie99

Loving life & enjoying the ride, despite the bumps
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
6,853
Reaction Score
20,445
Players who want to be molded into pros will choose him

One and done kids won't, and that's nothing new

The pampered kids could go the PC
 
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
1,835
Reaction Score
6,444
Callhoun would probably only be able to attract players who want to win a National Championship.
 
Joined
Apr 16, 2020
Messages
1,765
Reaction Score
2,869
Where along the spectrum from buddy to drill instructor would you place DH?
Unless somebody watched the practices or sat behind the bench during the games to gauge the interactions between coach and players, or there was a tweet or an interview from players or former players, this would not be an easy call.

During games I have watched on TV, I never observed him berating a player for an unforced error or missed foul shots. Maybe, I missed something.

His wife refers to herself as Mama Hurley so this seems to encourage a family atmosphere.
Does this make him a buddy?

Maybe, DH is somewhere in the middle, which does not seem a bad thing.
 

Fishy

Elite Premium Poster
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
17,954
Reaction Score
129,153
He's freaking Jim Calhoun.

He'd do great in the peach basket era or the transfer era or the future-basketball-is-made-from-space-flubber era.

How do these stupid threads even start?
 
Joined
Sep 2, 2015
Messages
941
Reaction Score
4,149
He got guys to The Show and they typically competed and had some impact early on. I think any player who had his sights on the NBA and was in another program who needed to take the final step would typically have given him more than a passing thought.
 
Joined
Mar 27, 2017
Messages
790
Reaction Score
2,863
Just curious as to your thoughts on this. JC used to go way out of his way to try to toughen up soft players and underclassmen. He would always have assistants to play good cop. But I don’t see anyway that if he coached now how he coached in say the 90s that he wouldn’t have massive amounts of transfers? There are practice stories that I’m sure some of you can share that go well beyond the issues some of these players transferring have with their coach.

Put some respect on Jim Calhoun's name.
 

Hans Sprungfeld

Undecided
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
12,775
Reaction Score
30,618
Kids don't like tough, in your face coaches nowadays. He wouldn't have faired well. Players want coaches to be their buddy, not their drill sergeant.
I like that you spelled "fared" incorrectly; best part of your post.
 

Online statistics

Members online
497
Guests online
3,241
Total visitors
3,738

Forum statistics

Threads
155,760
Messages
4,030,623
Members
9,864
Latest member
leepaul


Top Bottom