Why are people putting Calhoun out to pasture?

[Hoophound]

Jim Calhoun is 69 years old. He can bike 50 miles for charity and fun. He can bike 20 miles with broken ribs.

At 68 years old he won a national title, at 66 he lost in the final four.

My father is about JC's age. He is a successful professional. He makes good money and has incredible intellect. Last summer, he stained his vacation home top to bottom---and it's a big house---- along with his older brother, in just under three days. He is a good man and a better father and grandfather than I could ever hope to be.

There is no need to bury a guy in his 60's these days. It isn't that old and for many healthy and active people, it isn't old at all.

Jim Calhoun is the best coach in college.basketball. If you want to argue that Tom Izzo is better, I'll listen.

Bottom line, JC can cycle, coach and work circles around the fat ass 50 year olds telling him to hang it up. He leaves when he's good and ready and not when some diabetic couch potato with a laptop says so.

 

[willie99]

a few are, the vast majority are not

 

[Waquoit]

Sgt. Shultz coudn't have come up with anything better than that, hound.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Jim Calhoun is 69 years old. He can bike 50 miles for charity and fun. He can bike 20 miles with broken ribs.

At 68 years old he won a national title, at 66 he lost in the final four.

My father is about JC's age. He is a successful professional. He makes good money and has incredible intellect. Last summer, he stained his vacation home top to bottom---and it's a big house---- along with his older brother, in just under three days. He is a good man and a better father and grandfather than I could ever hope to be.

There is no need to bury a guy in his 60's these days. It isn't that old and for many healthy and active people, it isn't old at all.

Jim Calhoun is the best coach in college.basketball. If you want to argue that Tom Izzo is better, I'll listen.

Bottom line, JC can cycle, coach and work circles around the fat ass 50 year olds telling him to hang it up. He leaves when he's good and ready and not when some diabetic couch potato with a laptop says so.

Calhoun has said himself that he will not be coaching much longer. Do you know better than Calhoun?

 

[upstater]

This kind of talk is corrosive for the program in general.

Trust me on that. And before people dismiss the rants on internet message boards, this is how it starts and it just feeds on itself.

 

[The Funster]

We are an instant gratification society. As a whole we don't have the patience to wait and see. There are people who aren't sure that Calhoun can do it any more. Rather than be patient with the man who built the program, they'd rather push him out for someone who can be the future right now.

 

[freescooter]

and upstater if we go 12-16 next year and 12-17 the following year, it will get louder. He isn't going to be coaching when he's 80. In fact, he's most likely on his last contract. He has missed long stretches of the season twice in the last 3 years with physical problems. this could well be a fairly long rebuilding project after the 2013 ban. Too many problems that haven't gone away despite the 2010 National Championship. The program is gettin gthe feeling of one where the coach has stayed too long and everyone knows it but him. And it even happens to great coaches.

 

[Hoophound]

Calhoun has said himself that he will not be coaching much longer. Do you know better than Calhoun?

The guy has been coaching for like 40 years. The end is near, but that may be 4 or 5 years from now The outside people that want him to quit are sick of losing to him and the fans here that want him gone a year after a title are just panicking.

 

[upstater]

and upstater if we go 12-16 next year and 12-17 the following year, it will get louder. He isn't going to be coaching when he's 80. In fact, he's most likely on his last contract. He has missed long stretches of the season twice in the last 3 years with physical problems. this could well be a fairly long rebuilding project after the 2013 ban. Too many problems that haven't gone away despite the 2010 National Championship. The program is gettin gthe feeling of one where the coach has stayed too long and everyone knows it but him. And it even happens to great coaches.

What problems are you referring to? Laptops still? Please. What are the problems? And it's a 2011 Championship, not 2010. As in, LAST YEAR. My Lord, the guy won a championship 12 months ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DogMania]

Well if they're going to put him somewhere, they might as well put him there. Wasn't it Ray Allen who said he liked the cows during his visit?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The guy has been coaching for like 40 years. The end is near, but that may be 4 or 5 years from now The outside people that want him to quit are sick of losing to him and the fans here that want him gone a year after a title are just panicking.

4 to 5 years is not on the table for Calhoun. He has never said he would stay that long. He has said he would finish his contract, which has 2 more years.

 

[businesslawyer]

This is a problem when Calhoun can no longer sign top recruits because people won't commit to a program that they think might change coaches while they are there. Since this was not an issue last year, as we signed Boatright, Drummond and Daniels, a rational person can not conclude with any certainty that this is a problem now. If it becomes a problem -- well, then we're in a different ballpark.

So yes, people are panicked because they have the attention span of gnats and we're coming off a very disappointing year. Just like they panicked after the 09-10 season. And the 06-07 season. And the ....

 

[Hoophound]

4 to 5 years is not on the table for Calhoun. He has never said he would stay that long. He has said he would finish his contract, which has 2 more years.

Maybe. Two is likely and if JC needs to stick around longer to see the practice facility open and make sure his desired successor gets the job, he might go 4. Everyone around him seems to think he still has a passion for the job and we know he is very competitive. If you think he'll quit in two years, then you must assume that he will have righted the ship by then because he won't leave with the program in the tter.

 

[Inyatkin]

Every UConn season ends one of two ways -- a national championship, or a meltdown over the future of the program.

 

[cohenzone]

Well, as a 67 year old and a pretty active one, I can see both sides. While 69 might not be as ancient as it once was, it is also not the prime of life. And JC has had health problems, as strong a guy as he may be. Given that, it is not weird for people to be looking ahead. There are some who believe, count me as one of them, who thought he was ready to go after the unexpected NC last year. But as soon as he was faced with a suspension and we lost scholarships, I would have been surprised if he hung it up, it's just not in his genes to leave under those circumstances. Now it's ditto for next year. He's not going to desert a wounded ship, at least I believe not, and I think he would have announced anything different by now.

It will be very interesting to see what happens if he has not announced a decision before the current contract expires. I think that if he wants to stay, the Pres and the AD, even though they have historic ties to JC, will be hard-pressed not to offer him a new contract.

 

[Waquoit]

So yes, people are panicked because they have the attention span of gnats and we're coming off a very disappointing year. Just like they panicked after the 09-10 season. And the 06-07 season. And the ....

I contend that it's the folks that think this offseason is no different from 06-07 and 09-10 are the one's not paying attention.

 

[businesslawyer]

I contend that it's the folks that think this offseason is no different from 06-07 and 09-10 are the one's not paying attention.

I certainly didn't say that. The offseason is different. But you don't really think the upperclassmen are leaving because JC may only be there one or two more years, do you?

He did not click with this year's team. Period. Clearly. And I don't give him a pass for that (although the blame is on both the player and coach side when that happens). And I'm sure the one year ban hurts recruiting at least a little. But neither of those reasons lead one to the conclusion that he has to get out because, it has age, it won't get better. As long as he can still recruit at his age (and we would have to fail next year to even begin to think his age is a problem with recruiting), there is no reason to be talking about how we'd be better off if he stepped aside.

No reason except in the mind of those whose attention spans are no bigger than their ... never mind.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Well, as a 67 year old and a pretty active one, I can see both sides. While 69 might not be as ancient as it once was, it is also not the prime of life. And JC has had health problems, as strong a guy as he may be. Given that, it is not weird for people to be looking ahead. There are some who believe, count me as one of them, who thought he was ready to go after the unexpected NC last year. But as soon as he was faced with a suspension and we lost scholarships, I would have been surprised if he hung it up, it's just not in his genes to leave under those circumstances. Now it's ditto for next year. He's not going to desert a wounded ship, at least I believe not, and I think he would have announced anything different by now.

It will be very interesting to see what happens if he has not announced a decision before the current contract expires. I think that if he wants to stay, the Pres and the AD, even though they have historic ties to JC, will be hard-pressed not to offer him a new contract.

You don't read like you are 67 - and I agree with you.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I contend that it's the folks that think this offseason is no different from 06-07 and 09-10 are the one's not paying attention.

Agreed. We just lost 5 players. We have 2 coming in, and one is for only one season. Do the math.

As for Calhoun, he missed how many games last year with health related issues? Do any of us think that the number is trending down? I love what he's done for us. He is a larger than life figure, and he is in great shape for 69. But my question is whether the University, not Jim Calhoun or his legacy, is best served by the current "limbo". If he's staying, he needs to announce for how long now. If not, I wish him well and we need to move on.

 

[Excalibur]

I contend that it's the folks that think this offseason is no different from 06-07 and 09-10 are the one's not paying attention.

Well, there's one major additional factor, and replacing the coach wouldn't fix it . . .

 

[cohenzone]

You don't read like you are 67 - and I agree with you.

Thanks. I probably sound more like 66, because I don't turn 67 until next week. Literary license. What really hurts is that my eldest son just turned 40, my second one turns 38 today and my baby will turn 37 later this year. I was busy during the early 70s. But with 4 grandkids and one on the way, I have to face the stark reality that I will never make the majors. So, I live vicariously through Calhoun, whom I both love and drives me nuts.

BTW, I was in the marching band under the great Allan Gillespie in the early-mid 60's. Great experience. Your son or daughter must be having a ball.

 

[Kitaman]

People need to be careful of what they ask for.

 

[cohenzone]

People need to be careful of what they ask for.

Sounds like the inscrutable Oracle at Delphi.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Thanks. I probably sound more like 66, because I don't turn 67 until next week. Literary license. What really hurts is that my eldest son just turned 40, my second one turns 38 today and my baby will turn 37 later this year. I was busy during the early 70s. But with 4 grandkids and one on the way, I have to face the stark reality that I will never make the majors. So, I live vicariously through Calhoun, whom I both love and drives me nuts.

BTW, I was in the marching band under the great Allan Gillespie in the early-mid 60's. Great experience. Your son or daughter must be having a ball.

Yes she did have fun - finishing grad school in May. She got to do a lot of traveling to bowl games and with pep band - men and women final fours and last years national champ. Me too with Calhoun.

 

[Ts5034]

First off let me say im a Calhoun supporter, always have been and always will be so if he wanted to coach until hes 100 that would be fine with me. But we all know thats not going to happen. I dont think the doubters are doubting his ability to coach. You have to be an idiot if you think Calhoun cant do it anymore. With the post season ban and the fact that Calhoun only has 2 yrs left on his contract, the program does have a lot of question marks.

Until Calhoun retires those question marks will continue to be there just because hes 70 and not 50. Top recruits want to come here to play for him, and since they dont know how long he will be coaching a lot of them pass on UConn. This is just something we have to deal with and just let the situation play out. Just be thankful for the last 25 years with JC because there are no guarantees the next 25 without him will be the same.