OT: Calhoun retiring from UConn
Jim Calhoun will step down from UConn tomorrow.
Pretty big news. Definitely a top 10 basketball coach of all time (maybe top 5).
Impressive to get 873 wins, and 3 championships- particularly at a school with almost zero basketball history (at least of success) prior to him going to UConn.
No real impact on Michigan basketball- but some pretty serious news for MGoBloggers to chat about. Been a busy day for the Big East- losing N.D, and Calhoun- been a rough stretch for the conference....
September 12th, 2012 at 11:02 PM ^
Obligatory:
September 12th, 2012 at 11:05 PM ^
good riddance to him. Cheater.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:39 AM ^
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right. I hope you have the time of your life.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:42 AM ^
I see what you did there...
Oh he's leaving on a jetplane, don't know when he'll be back again.
September 12th, 2012 at 11:49 PM ^
but sketchy career. Have to admit he built UConn into something. Prior to UConn's basketball success not many people even knew there was a University of Connecticut.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:12 AM ^
There's a University of Connecticut?
September 13th, 2012 at 12:18 AM ^
September 13th, 2012 at 7:46 AM ^
What's a Connecticut? Isn't that a county in New York State?
September 13th, 2012 at 12:30 PM ^
"U-Conn" thing?
September 13th, 2012 at 9:30 AM ^
artiste, and another one who long since wore out his welcome.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:19 AM ^
Given his health problems and ethical issues, I'm surprised he didn't retire earlier. He will be a tough act to follow.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:22 AM ^
His health is failing, he won't live long enough to spend all of his money, and the consequences of his questionable methods are going to rain a shitstorm on Storrs this year.
There really isn't any reason to stick around except masochism or severe denial.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:23 AM ^
Just an older version of Rick Pitino but the pedigree is, regrettably, just as smarmy.
September 13th, 2012 at 9:49 AM ^
September 13th, 2012 at 12:28 AM ^
when MEEEEECHIGAN comes to Connecticut and leaves with a 70-7 victory.
I'm mixed, and on the same lines with other folks. Great wins, some sketchiness. Solid career.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:39 AM ^
So does the Big East officially still exist? Or is that still unofficial for now?
September 13th, 2012 at 7:29 AM ^
September 13th, 2012 at 8:02 AM ^
Philosophical question: If a conference exists, but no one gives a sh*t, does it really exist?
September 13th, 2012 at 1:40 AM ^
One of the sketchiest coaches ever but ESPN consistenly praises him and focuses on 3 the NCAA Championships. Guy leaves his team before a year where they can't even go to the tournament. Way to bail on your team coach.
September 13th, 2012 at 6:47 AM ^
He was a great coach. Won't forget the Kemba Walker run.
Sanctions are looming, but keep in mind that the most recent ones deal with athletes who had academic troubles by attending courses that didn't pander to them. Basically, the exact opposite of the UNC scandal. So UConn is being punished for having students attend legitimate courses instead of blatant, fraudulent courses as in the case of UNC. They did things the right way, yet got punished.
I am strictly talking about the academic hypocrisy by the NCAA when it comes to UConn. You can't punish UConn for making students go to legit courses, and then back off of UNC because "All students could take those courses!".
September 13th, 2012 at 8:21 AM ^
Arent you forgetting about the student manager who was "tutoring" players? It wasnt only the APR scandal that led to Calhouns perception as a living on the edge type of coach.
Besides its not like every other school doesnt follow have to follow the APR rules, so saying that UConn is getting the shaft as their kids went to class is a little unfair. With the types of resources to big time D1 athletes, failing a class is the fault of the player not the University. I'm sure something that helped to contribute to UConns problem was recruting 1/2 and dones who leave school after the Tourney is done to train.
Also, was it right that the NCAA stepped outside their bounds and punished PSU despite having no precedent to do so? No, especially when they used that BS excuse about academic fraud being outside their authority with UNC.
Just be pissed at the NCAA for what it stands for (money) but some things like the APR rate do force some sense of accountability on the schools.
September 13th, 2012 at 7:54 AM ^
September 13th, 2012 at 8:25 AM ^
That sound you hear is John Calipari booking his flight to Storrs.
World champion in "fucking schools up in sanctions and running".
September 13th, 2012 at 9:51 AM ^
Here's a story written a few months ago regarding Calhoun's intent at the time to stay, but also with some tidbits regarding the succession planning at UConn - (article)
One quote in it would seem to hint at Calhoun's attitude towards the "failing to maintain an atmosphere of compliance": ""OK, it got our attention. We didn't do a good job on that. But it's tough to come after us for winning or for achievement or for Ray Allen running up and down at 35 or 36."
It is hard to argue with the on-the-court record at UConn during the Calhoun years, but still, this response always seemed a little dismissive to me. Clearly, he did not run a tight ship - as I recall, the booster that was banned from contributing as a result of the sanctions stemming from the improper benefits probe was actually on the basketball staff at the time. That, and the academic issues - which I believe UConn tried to appeal frantically with some plays on which APR average the NCAA should use - lead me to believe that he had lost focus of a vital part of his job, which is to help these athletes develop as people. Between the spinal stenosis and the hip surgery and his other health problems, this is probably a smart move at 70 years old (I am sure the lack of a postseason this year and what seemed like an exodus of talent as a result might have helped him make this call), but I would think his legacy in NCAA circles will always be very mixed (with a generous side of shady), and it is probably a good point for UConn to go in another direction.
September 13th, 2012 at 9:04 AM ^
September 13th, 2012 at 10:25 AM ^
Huge jerk.
September 13th, 2012 at 11:34 AM ^
This is a sad day for the state of Connecticut and for the sport of basketball. If nothing else, Jim Calhoun was tremendously entertaining.
September 13th, 2012 at 11:59 AM ^
I will probably fail miserably at embedding this video but here is Calhoun's response to not recruiting Ryan Gomes out of Waterbury:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX6FDEDbesE
September 13th, 2012 at 12:12 PM ^
Calhoun was the highest paid state employee in Conn. Basketball awefully important I'd say.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:13 PM ^
John McLaughlin voice.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:33 PM ^
Otherwise know as getting out of Dodge before the NCAA hammers you. Class.
At least his teams stuck it to Duke regularly.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:44 PM ^
He's not pulling a Pete Carroll and leaving a program facing sanctions in order to coach somewhere else. He's actually retiring. I'm genuinely confused by the hostility towards Calhoun here.
September 13th, 2012 at 2:34 PM ^
Good time to get out...
...by hanging on to win a little more, to prove one more person wrong, he muddled through the aftermath of a Yahoo! Sports investigation, which found the Huskies had used an agent to land recruit Nate Miles and led to NCAA sanctions. Poor academic performance during the late Noughties means that this season's UConn team and interim coach Kevin Ollie will be ineligible for postseason play. For me, the tell about UConn came in the mid-90s, when Calhoun was prepared to hire as his chief recruiter a UNLV assistant coach named Greg (Shoes) Vetrone, whom SI soon implicated in arranging for pinch-hitters to take standardized tests for top prospects.
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/alexander_wolff/09/13/Jim…