Pikiell Lifetime Contract

[Hey Adrien!]

Well deserved:

 

[Umami Zen]

Congrats to Steve and his Family.. Would have liked for him to keep his options open.

 

[wheelerdog]

If UConn had had the entire off-season to replace Calhoun I believe Steve would be the UConn coach right now. But that also probably means no 2014, so....

 

[HooperScooper]

Good for Pikiell and congrats to him. But damn if UConn "settled" for what Rutgers has done under him to give some coach like that the same deal we'd all be screaming bloody murder.

 

[Huskybass]

Pre-shoulder injury he was a baller too. I seem to recall 20 something points in a Big East game.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Good for Pikiell and congrats to him. But damn if UConn "settled" for what Rutgers has done under him to give some coach like that the same deal we'd all be screaming bloody murder.

Pretty different situations though

 

[huskyjawz]

Pre-shoulder injury he was a baller too. I seem to recall 20 something points in a Big East game.

Even post injury his point guard play would be welcome on this year's team.

 

[CTBballfan243]

Kinda of dumb on Rutgers part. I‘m sure he still can be fired or has a buyout for when a better job comes calling.

 

[SportsFan88]

Gotta be a plus for his recruitment of Dylan Harper

 

[Palatine]

Good for Steve. Loved him as a Huskies player. What might have been if he never injured his shoulder.

Don't give a darn either way about Rutty.

 

[Scrutineer]

We root for Steve, mainly because he's such a nice guy and also because he's a UConn grad.

My wife talked with him on the Bridgeport Ferry one year when he was at Stony Brook and couldn't get over how nice he was to speak with. But, we also like to root for the underdog and he was a huge underdog when he was hired at Rutgers.

Imagine being hired at one of the worst schools in the NCAA, coming in to a situation with a limited roster and everyone knowing you were not the first choice for the job. Maybe even the third or fourth choice. How do you get players to believe in you and themselves? How do you start to bring respect and achievement where there hasn't been any for over forty years? How do you keep things positive as you slowly build a roster and improve your standing in a tough league?

Whatever it takes to do that, Steve had/has it and it's great to see him recognized and rewarded for what he's accomplished.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Great move for Rutgers and for Steve! The RU fans in my family love him!

 

[HuskyHawk]

Well earned and it’s Wonderful to see him having success after injuries limited him at UConn. One of my favorites from my era at UConn. Of course, now he’s stuck in New Jersey.

 

[willie99]

Happy for Steve, he'll always be a Husky

 

[Devland]

If you read the article, it is not a true "lifetime contract ". It is an extension that would keep him til his mid 60s (8-10 years). The author calls it lifetime because he assumes he would retire then.

 

[Skiblets]

Played against him growing up and into high school. A nicer guy you’ll never meet

 

[gampelcrazies]

No one deserves a lifetime contract

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

No one deserves a lifetime contract

Boeheim

 

[Inyatkin]

Anyone who makes Rutgers into a winner deserves whatever they want to give him

 

[Waquoit]

Good for Pikiell and congrats to him. But damn if UConn "settled" for what Rutgers has done under him to give some coach like that the same deal we'd all be screaming bloody murder.

Yeah, it's not UConn went gaga over a coach who won the NIT or anything.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Good for Pikiell and congrats to him. But damn if UConn "settled" for what Rutgers has done under him to give some coach like that the same deal we'd all be screaming bloody murder.

Exactly what I was thinking.

Pikiell has Rutgers in the best position they've been in decades, but his best season was 20-11 (or maybe 18-14, 12-8 in conference) and he's won one NCAA Tournament game. A lifetime contract? Wow.

 

[Incursio007]

Exactly what I was thinking.

Pikiell has Rutgers in the best position they've been in decades, but his best season was 20-11 (or maybe 18-14, 12-8 in conference) and he's won one NCAA Tournament game. A lifetime contract? Wow.

To be fair, it doesn't take much to please them given their history lol.

 

[HooperScooper]

Yeah, it's not UConn went gaga over a coach who won the NIT or anything.

Did Calhoun get an extension right after they won the NIT? I don't remember that far back. He definitely didn't get a "lifetime extension".

 

[Waquoit]

Did Calhoun get an extension right after they won the NIT? I don't remember that far back. He definitely didn't get a "lifetime extension".

What I do remember was CBB preview in the Courant the following fall. The lede was "Give Calhoun whatever he wants. He is the coach to lead us to the promised land."

 

[Palatine]

I saw JC speak pre-game versus Gtown the seaon after the NIT win. He was adamant there was no miracle. He said he had much higher goals. We should expect more and he expected us to keep climbing.