Important side note: Calhoun has not signed an actual contract. His current deal, which paid him $1.6 million this past season (making him the infamously highest paid state employee in CT...thanks for showing up, Ken Krayeske), expires this summer. Sources have predicted that Calhoun's extension will be for 4 or 5 years.
But now it's clear that Calhoun will be back for at least his 25th season as the Huskies' head coach. In response, the Hartford Courant ran an online poll asking "Are You Glad He's Back?" Out of 1633 total responses, as of 10:05 a.m. this morning, 60% said "I'm glad the Hall-of-Fame coach is back" while 40% said "I wish he had stepped aside. It's time for somebody new."
This just goes to show you -- despite the many people who will argue that Calhoun's credentials and track record have earned him "lifetime tenure" at UConn, much like a college professor might have, there are nearly as many UConn fans out there (such as me) who are ready for a change.** Too bad it's not going to happen, possibly until he is 73 years old.
**Anyone else feel that this is just like Joe Torre after his 2007 season with the Yankees? The guy was the non-Jeter face of the franchise. He had made the playoffs all 12 seasons he managed. He had won 10 AL East championships, 6 pennants, and 4 World Series. Yet from 2004-2007, things were trending downwards, and Yankees fans and management began to sense that the team was ready for a change. Sure enough, Torre did not sign a new contract after the 2007 season ended, and Joe Girardi was brought in. After an adjustment period in 2008, the Yankees -- with fresh leadership and an influx of new talent -- were World Champs once again.
Tell me why that can't happen with UConn! A new coach might bring a year or two of instability in the face of change, but with the new leadership and a fresh recruiting class, a national title in a season or two is not so far-fetched...
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Jay, first off, you shouldn't be relying on online Hartford courant polls. I recall a poll about a month ago which asked "Can the Uconn Women could beat the Uconn men". Something like 30% of the people said the women would win....hahahaha...laughable. I played basketball in high school...mind you, i was no all-stater, not even an all-conference player.....yet at Uconn, i played in pick up games with Shea Ralph, Sue Bird, etc...and they were maybe slightly better then i was...fact is, people have opinions...differing opinions. I'm basing my opinion on a long history here. I remember the pre-calhoun days in the 80's - no one showed up to the games at the Fieldhouse, and the team was a Big East joke....now they have 2 National titles, another final four appearance...Big East regular season championships, tournament championships, etc. You can't just jump ship after one season..especially when they just went to the Final four. Lastly, as a basketball fan, i seriously question Calhoun's coaching moves, tactics, offensive schemes, etc. Not all coaches outcoach the guy on the other sideline everygame. Jim has won some he shouldn't have (Duke 1999, Duke 2004) and lost some he shouldn't have (George Mason most notably). Regardless, he has had an astounding career and he still has passion and loves the game, is the face of the school, and they would be crazy to call it quits with him unless the school has a really good plan in place as to who will replace him...right now, i don't see any viable candidates that would inspire me to do so.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Tim here, the polls are shaky. If the 40% number is accurate, this proves my argument why UConn fans are among the most hateable (is that a word?) out there. I mean seriously, all UConn fans should just appreciate what this guy has done. Now maybe some people are voting this because of Calhoun's health which is understandable. But I truly think these individuals mean they wish he would step down due to health problems, this doesn't necessarily mean they want him fired.
ReplyDeleteComparing this topic to the Yankees is ridiculous, college basketball is much different then the pros. Also, the Yanks have a $200 million payroll which allowed them to buy 3 huge free agents last yr. As much as Yankee fans hate to hear this, take 2 of them away and the team is slightly above avg with a minor rebuilding process in place.
One last thing, if he does leave, what makes you think they'll be great again?? I think the opposite happens. There are 2 big recurits UConn is trying to get right now. If Calhoun leaves, I think both would drop UConn right away. Also, a couple players on the team could transfer. Then what? Now you have a school in the middle of nowhere without a top notch coach. Look at some interviews with past recruits - Q. why did you chose UConn A. Coach Calhoun
Those recruits chose UConn because of Calhoun. But what if UConn replaces Calhoun with another successful coach?
ReplyDeleteExhibit A: Kentucky. Calipari comes in as a rookie coach and is probably going to be a #1 seed with 2 rookies as his best players. There was no rebuilding year. Kentucky didn't "drop right away". John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins didn't transfer with a new coach coming in.
Look, you guys make some great points. (Such as the unreliability of the Courant's polls...which I was just quoting as a general indication of people being on both sides of the fence on this issue.) And there are certainly a lot of people agree with you. I just think we need to snap out of our trance, our love affair with how much Calhoun has admittedly done with this program. He's aging, has significant health programs, and aside from the Final Four appearance last year, what has he done since UConn's epic collapse against George Mason in 2006? Six straight Big East tourney losses. Missing the tournament altogether twice. Etc. etc.
My point is, Calipari kept his two big recruits in his first year at Kentucky. And now they're gonna be a #1 seed. As long as UConn can bring in a proven winner to replace Calhoun, recruits are not going to shy away from Connecticut, which is now considered a powerhouse school...as long as a proven winner is the head coach. It's just that the proven winner need not necessarily be Jim Calhoun.
Kentucky is an extreme case which doesn't happen very often....first off, I'm not sure Uconn would even come close to landing a big name coach like Calipari...that is why I'm adamently defending Calhoun. Calipari is a top recruitor and a proven winner so i would love someone of that caliber (although he leaves skidmarks when he leaves programs). Also, i'm pretty sure Cousins and Wall were both going to Memphis to play for Calipari...and both bailed on their commitments to join Kentucky...after Calipari signed. This Kentucky case has no validity for that reason...he brought these players with him. Just to source some other recent cases....Arizona - Sean Miller has not nearly had the success that Calipari has had, Indiana - Tom Crean just finished his 2nd year, their futures may be promising b/c i like both coaches, but it definitely takes some time to build a program regardless.
ReplyDeleteTim, a Google search reveals nothing about John Wall committing to Memphis and then following Calipari to UK.
ReplyDeleteCousins actually committed to UAB, then backed out to Memphis, then backed out to UK.
So, you were half right and half wrong. I'm getting tired of always having to correct you on your facts!
Jay - 1st of all, I'm not in love with Jim Calhoun:) I hate the guy, but he's a great coach. Your not telling the whole story about Kentucky, they fired Tubby Smith because people were unhappy with his performance. They had not won a title since his first year (boo hoo!). He left and the progam went downhill and was AWFUL last year under Gillespe. Then they hit the lottery and got Coach Cal (My man!). He left Memphis because he knew trouble was coming. If there was no issue with Rose, Calprobably stays at Memphis. Then who for Kentucky?? (Side note -UNC, Kentucky, Kansas: these are top notch programs where legendary coaches will always go. Sorry to UConn fans, but UConn is not in this category!)
ReplyDeleteTim uses Arizona as a great example, they lost Olson to health/retirement and look at them now. Arizona has the longest NCAA tourney streak right now and that is coming to an end. These coaches are legendary, they are tough to replace. College Basketball is different than most sports, it can't always be strictly based on performance.
When do you draw the line here? Is Calhoun like a Supreme Court justice? Is this job a lifetime appointment? When is enough, enough?
ReplyDeleteLet's say Calhoun finally signs his 4 year extension. Suppose he and his Huskies suck for the next 4 years...perhaps they win just one Big East tourney game, lose in the first round of the NCAA tourney twice, and fail to make the NCAA tournament twice altogether.
Do you keep him around for yet another contract? Assuming he still has his "passion for the game" can you really keep rewarding him for his 2 national titles, 3 Final Fours, and 6 Big East tournament championships? He will still use his name to get his recruits, but can you really justify giving him a permanent job even if he continues these mediocre seasons?
My point is, you're suggesting that Calhoun *IS* UConn, and if we lose him we'll never get another top-notch coach and we'll never get the top-notch recruits.
That is a VERY dangerous stance to take. If you ride the Calhoun train much longer, you're driving the UConn program straight into mediocrity. When you will eventually be forced to get another coach (like if Calhoun voluntarily retires or dies) nobody will want to coach here, and nobody will want to play here.
Move on and get a new coach now, while the UConn name is still a big deal. While UConn-as-a-Final-Four-team is not a distant memory. If you wait too long, it might be too late to make the post-Calhoun era successful.
Jay, sorry i didn't use google, i'm was basing my comment on what i remembered....which is many Memphis recruits defecting...and Kentucky not having a good class until Calipari showed up. Cousins and Xavier Henry (not Wall, but i knew it was a high profile recruit) were both going to go to Memphis...and backed out when Calipari left. Regardless, my point was that neither Cousins or Wall were going to Kentucky ----"wait for it"--- until Calipari signed with Kentucky. Yet, your specific quote above was "John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins didn't transfer with a new coach coming in."... which is an erroneous statement.
ReplyDeleteSee, now it sounds a lot like the Joe Torre debate. I know people who wanted him fired in 2001 after they lost the World Series, 2002 after they lost in the first round, 2003 after they lost to the Marlins, 2004 after they lost the Red Sox, and then in 2005, 2006, and 2007. And I know others who think he should have never been fired after all those championships he won.
ReplyDeleteBut I do understand the difference in college basketball and professional baseball and so they're not similar.
Here's one thing that would support getting rid of him sooner rather than later: coaches at the end of their ropes seem much more likely to take "chances" and walk the fine line between violations and good recruiting. You rather he leave the program on good terms than the scorched earth/NCAA violation terms that other coaches have left on.
I don't think Calhoun would do that to UConn, though, since he has built this program.
That being said, I wasn't in favor of firing Torre and I don't see a point in ushering Calhoun out of Connecticut. My two cents from someone who is a UConn fan but not big into college b-ball.
Jay, you obviously have a different opinion here and the word "loyalty" means nothing to you (see your Yankees/Joe Torre comments). I'm not sure how long you've been a Uconn fan or if you even are a fan. College basketball success is not easy to come by - Duke (premier program) has won only 3 championships since 1990 and hasn't been to the final four since 2004, yet they aren't calling for Coach K's head. What i'm asking here....is that you try to be sensical. I want Uconn to be great for years to come, but i'm also a realist. And with that i think it's best for the program that Jim Calhoun is the coach for at least a few more years.
ReplyDeleteTim, I think you're confusing loyalty with reality. UConn fans, including me, have been very loyal to Calhoun for 24 seasons. We have put up with heroic wins (1999) and choke losses (2006). We have put up with media tirade after media tirade. We have put up with his neverending string of embarrassing expletives directed at the players, often caught on national TV cameras and by the first 12 rows of seats. We have put up with his health concerns forcing him to miss 7 straight regular season games, let alone an NCAA tournament game last season.
ReplyDeleteClearly, we have put up with a lot. He's 68 years old now with a lot of health concerns. He has had several bad seasons recently, and a string of bad losses, including 6 straight Big East tournament losses and the GMU collapse. He hasn't even produced a truly successful NBA pro since Rudy Gay.
Look, I'm all for loyalty. And I am very grateful to Calhoun for what he's done. But after putting up with a hell of a lot, there is a time for every program to move on. That is an undisputed fact -- his time will come sooner or later. I simply think that time is now. You think that time is 4+ years from now. Opinions differ.
All I can say is, we'll see where we are when Calhoun's next 4-year deal is over.
Jay, it's an interesting question if Calhoun can be allowed to stay forever. I guess after 4 years of being mediocre this question can be asked. But we're not there yet. Also, why are you thinking the team won't turn it around? A few years back they didn't win the NIT and then WENT TO THE FINAL FOUR 2 years later.
ReplyDeleteMark my words, UCONN BBall will never be the same when Calhoun leaves. Seriously they won't, and could turn into a team like South Florida. Believe, I would LOVE for this to happen.
Troper brings up an interesting question for all you college basketball experts and/or stat geeks.
ReplyDeleteHas there ever been a team with a streak similar to UConn's (roughly 25 years, 2 national titles, 3 final fours, 6 conference tournament championships) that lost its coach from that streak and never returned to greatness?
Obviously, Calhoun will not be around forever. With today's news, it's obvious he'll be back next year and probably for all 4 years of the new deal. But what are the chances he gets another deal at the age of 72? I'd say 50/50 at best, and much worse if they continue playing with such mediocrity.
But regardless of whether he has a lifetime job (i.e. coaches until he retires, even if that's at Age 90) or whether he's gone in another 4 years, what's gonna happen next? Are they going to be another South Florida? Or are they a powerhouse forever now?
You could ask the same question about Syracuse in the post-Jim Boeheim era. Ditto the Arizona example from before.
Hopefully we can be like G'Town after the first John Thompson era. It took them a little while, but they could be back at this point as a Big East or arguably national powerhouse. I wonder if G'Town is the Big East model for UConn after Calhoun is gone.
I'LL give you a perfect example - UNLV after Jerry Tarkanian....
ReplyDeleteUNLV is a great example.
ReplyDeleteI just hope that UConn would have a better fate, and I think it would, partially (largely?) because it plays in the Big East. Good recruits will still be naturally drawn to B.E. schools because of the strong competition and constant TV exposure. UNLV, in the MWC, had virtually no appeal to recruits past the Tarkanian era because of the weak conference it plays in.