Jim Calhoun: "Hit him you !"

[The Viking]

Jim Calhoun had a hand in 4 national championships in Storrs, CT. 3 he won and then 1 his former player and ultimately the guy he chose to replace him won.

I still can't believe it. He is the greatest coach in NCAA history, profanities and all.

 

[Gurleyman]

@Gurleyman the derision was for boatright, he missed two wide open shooters coming off screens. giffey faded and was open for a good passer, lamb was clearly wide open cutting for his signature floater in the lane. if the lane was crowded, AO could have cleared out or screen for giffey.

That's not 2014 Giffey fading to the corner. The Giffey in that clip made nine three-pointers the entire season. He's not the first option on any play we are running in 2012, so his cut to the corner is obviously just background noise.

Lamb was also not going to be wide open for a floater, because AO's defender was in perfect position to shut the play off, since AO did nothing to occupy him after his decoy screen for Giffey. There's room for disagreement, of course, since none of us know the play call. But after that screen for Giffey, AO's next move is to post up looking for the ball, and Boat is looking for him, but Lamb runs right in to him (then backs up and gets out of the way - which are not the signs of a properly run play). So something went wrong with our communication beyond just missing a cutter. Our guys are definitely not all running the same thing.

It could also be both - could be that Boat was supposed to hit Lamb if he was open, and then AO was the next option. And it could be that Giffey botched the play by not vacating and causing the near side to be overloaded, which left Lamb unable to finish his cut and he ended up in AO's way instead. Without JC's sound effects, I would think for sure that Lamb ran the wrong thing and got in the way of a designed post feed. But odds are probably better that Lamb ran the play JC wanted, into a group of teammates who were running something else. Which ultimately falls on the point guard, lest you think I'm absolving Boat.

 

[selles]

That's not 2014 Giffey fading to the corner. The Giffey in that clip made nine three-pointers the entire season. He's not the first option on any play we are running in 2012, so his cut to the corner is obviously just background noise.

Lamb was also not going to be wide open for a floater, because AO's defender was in perfect position to shut the play off, since AO did nothing to occupy him after his decoy screen for Giffey. There's room for disagreement, of course, since none of us know the play call. But after that screen for Giffey, AO's next move is to post up looking for the ball, and Boat is looking for him, but Lamb runs right in to him (then backs up and gets out of the way - which are not the signs of a properly run play). So something went wrong with our communication beyond just missing a cutter. Our guys are definitely not all running the same thing.

It could also be both - could be that Boat was supposed to hit Lamb if he was open, and then AO was the next option. And it could be that Giffey botched the play by not vacating and causing the near side to be overloaded, which left Lamb unable to finish his cut and he ended up in AO's way instead. Without JC's sound effects, I would think for sure that Lamb ran the wrong thing and got in the way of a designed post feed. But odds are probably better that Lamb ran the play JC wanted, into a group of teammates who were running something else. Which ultimately falls on the point guard, lest you think I'm absolving Boat.

Heh, I'm now imagining you giving JC these utterly reasoned explanations in the moment. Do you think he would have bitten your head off after the first sentence, or would you have made it to the second?

 

[Gurleyman]

Heh, I'm now imagining you giving JC these utterly reasoned explanations in the moment. Do you think he would have bitten your head off after the first sentence, or would you have made it to the second?

Haha. I'd know better than to try to reasonably explain things to an angry coach. I'd just not my head and six months later over coffee I'd say "hey, remember that play that Boat screwed up?..."

And even then I'd make sure the coffee was close to room temperature. Just in case.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

I think if JC looks back--he may regret some of the over-use of profane language

Wrong board!

 

[jfuchs91]

For what it's worth, that's Roscoe Smith setting the screen, not Drummond. Man, that 2012 squad was absolutely loaded. That very well could have been our best team ever "on paper."

 

[Chief00]

Calhoun should not (and probably does not) regret swearing at players one bit. He was pretty bad at times, but each one will tell them that he made them into men. Those words brought us championships.

Now, words uttered to the media? That's another thread for another day.

Quite frankly, as he once said - you need to say MF just to maybe get their attention. Having said that there is another side to the man - some of the posters here will never see.

 

[zyron]

Quite frankly, as he once said - you need to say MF just to maybe get their attention. Having said that there is another side to the man - some of the posters here will never see.

He only shows that side when hanging out with Drummond and you.

 

[Chief00]

Actually his grandchildren bring it out. Dee Rowe is another. Me -I bring out the opposite side of him LOL But, he knows there were only a few men still left standing for Nate Miles and I was one of them.

 

[zyron]

Actually his grandchildren bring it out.

You're his grandkid, quite frankly, I did not know that.

 

[Matt (Chicago)]

I remember a Saturday noon game at GP when I was still a student. Can't remember who we played but we were up BIG late in the second half. Boring game...lot of hungover students...could hear a pin drop in Gampel. All of a sudden Scott Hazelton get bodied out for a rebound, and Calhoun stands up and screams " Get in the duckin weight room!" Gotta love it...the guy pulled zero punches.

 

[Waquoit]

remember when he "punched" daniels?

I was there, no scare quotes needed.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Loved when we were playing Miami and he kicked the advertising board next to the bench and called time out less than a minute into the game.

Other faves were when he would call timeout in the Civic Center to "coach" Hilton Armstrong. You could hear the foot stomp in the bathrooms!!

 

[KembaStepback]

I remember at some point during Calhoun's last season when the TV camera's caught him screaming at Boat. "What the duck are you doing!?!?!" followed by a calm Jimmy C going "Boat...Boat.." while telling him gesturing for him to cool down. I still laugh about that with buddies.

Some of my favorite games to go to during the Calhoun era were the games against like a Vermont in the XL center. There wouldn't be anyone in the stands, but Calhoun would coach like it was the Final Four and they'd be up by 30. He would still be stomping LOUD and cursing because someone didn't box out to his liking.

I miss Calhoun so much.

 

[Mano]

Everyone has their faults--I think the over-use of swearing is not something anyone would look back on and be proud of. I'm sure he knows a lot of kids heard those words.

I wouldn't have him any other way.

 

[bcisco]

I used to love when he would call a timeout and not say a word but just stare at the players the whole timeout. Best example being the 99 game at the garden vs St. John's down big in the second half playing uninspired ball he calls a TO just stands there doesn't say a word. Team comes roaring back to win.

 

[Chief00]

Another WTF was when he was beating Tom Moore's Q team by 40 - in a sparsely attended game due to a snow storm. A woman, who knows both Tom and Jim, had enough of the slaughter - stood up and yelled "call the dogs off" - Jim looked at her, put his hands waist high and open upward and said WTF do you want me to do.
He sat down and waiting another minute just so it's his decision and not someone telling him what to do - and then put in the substitutes and walk-ons.

 

[methodology]

I remember going a few years back there was an 80 year old guy heckling Calhoun who was sitting right behind the bench. At some point Calhoun decided he had enough. He turned to this guy about 20 years his elder and told him to "sit down and shut the fluck up". A few players told me it was pretty funny seeing coach put that guy in his place. The guy didn't heckle Calhoun the rest of the game.

I once asked a few players the craziest thing they saw Calhoun do. They pretty much agreed it had to be I believe the 2009 game at west Virginia. I believe it was sticks first game back or shortly after he was reinstated. Anyway Calhoun absolutely hated west Virginia and I don't think he had won at west Virginia. Anyway at half he apparently crawled on all 4s into the locker room and was crawling around the locker room up to players screaming and getting whatever message he wanted across. The players said it was really weird and they were trying to hold back laughing cause Calhoun would have chewed them out if they smirked or anything. Said he wanted that Win more than anything, absolutely hated west Virginia. Having been at that game and a ton of other away venues. West Virginia fans were by far away the worst group of fans. The slurs, insults and everything was unmatched by every away big east fanbase I ever encountered. I had been to every away venue in the big east.

Also sticks tells me there was one time he was going to the bench and Calhoun put his finger in his chest, basically hit him then grabbed his jersey. Said it actually hurt Calhoun was a big strong man. Said he didn't care Calhoun did that he was just an intense competitor who wanted players to perform the best of their capabilities.

 

[Uconnrick]

Christmastime, while Oak was still here, we were playing Ball State at the XL. Up by 20+ at the half, BS come out and scores 6 seconds into the half. I was about 40 feet from JC and he EXPLODED off the bench for some major league cursing and a TO. 6 SECONDS!!!!!! I love that guy. Still the fastest TO I have ever seen.

 

[CAHUSKY]

My favorite Calhoun explosion was on the bench with Jamal Coombs-McDaniel in Maui. I literally thought Calhoun was going to kill him. Let's just say you should never say f$ck you to Jim Calhoun. Anyone sitting in the Maui Civic Center that day will remember how uncomfortable that interaction was.

 

[Hoophound]

My favorite Calhoun explosion was on the bench with Jamal Coombs-McDaniel in Maui. I literally thought Calhoun was going to kill him. Let's just say you should never say f$ck you to Jim Calhoun. Anyone sitting in the Maui Civic Center that day will remember how uncomfortable that interaction was.

Tell me more. It's ok, he's retired.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

My favorite Calhoun explosion was on the bench with Jamal Coombs-McDaniel in Maui. I literally thought Calhoun was going to kill him. Let's just say you should never say f$ck you to Jim Calhoun. Anyone sitting in the Maui Civic Center that day will remember how uncomfortable that interaction was.

I remember that. I still think that Jamal Coombs-McDaniel said to himself "I have to stick out the year but I better find another school once this season is over".

 

[johnhuskies95]

Dion Waiters telling Boeheim to "go fluck himself" is still the funniest player-coach interaction I've ever seen.

 

[wheelerdog]

My favorite Calhoun explosion was on the bench with Jamal Coombs-McDaniel in Maui. I literally thought Calhoun was going to kill him. Let's just say you should never say f$ck you to Jim Calhoun. Anyone sitting in the Maui Civic Center that day will remember how uncomfortable that interaction was.

1000%

 

[CAHUSKY]

1000%

You were sitting right next to me starting fights with Kentucky fans Wheelerdog! Good times.