A
basketball national powerhouse where? Storrs, Connecticut. Yes, Jim Calhoun for the
past 26 years has taken a small school, University of Connecticut, to heights higher than any Hollywood film maker could
imagine. In a part
of the country where not much excitement is happening, Coach Calhoun stepped on
campus with his brass in your face approach. Storrs, Connecticut soon became the talk of
college basketball world for how fast the program became elite.
With his
announcement of his retirement over a week ago Calhoun, the Hall of Famer, will
join an exclusive group of other
college great basketball coaches like John Wooden, Mike Krzyewski, Adolph Rupp,
and for my true college basketball junkies Jim Phelan (google him). Calhoun
has 873 victories, which place him 6th-most victories overall, 3
National Championships and a conference best 7 Big East Tournament Titles. Without question he has made his mark on
College basketball.
Calhoun’s
legacy will go down simply as a winner. Coaching
a host of future NBA players, like my favorite Ray Allen, Donyell Marshall, and
Richard Hamilton, to local Wisconsin native Caron Butler. Not only did Calhoun win basketball games, he
battled and defeated Cancer twice all while returning to coach his Huskies.
Although
in his final years he battled the NCAA on recruiting violations and poor
academic performance. Legendary coaches like Calhoun, who truly built a program
from nothing, and turned it into a powerhouse program, only come around once in
a life time was great for the college basketball. Let’s not forget that before Jim Calhoun you
never heard of University of Connecticut for anything. So although he’s stepping down his footprints
will remain on UConn campus as the guy who took a cold part of the country and
made it a hot bed for great college players.
Here's a tribute to Jim Calhoun.
Until
next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts
and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.
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