Sports
Jim Calhoun Officially Signs On To New Job At St. Joseph
The Hall of Fame former UConn coach has officially been named the first head coach of the University of St. Joseph men's basketball team.
WEST HARTFORD, CT — Hall of Fame basketball coach Jim Calhoun has been officially named the first-ever head coach of the University of Saint Joseph men’s basketball team. Calhoun, the legendary former UConn coach and three-time NCAA national champion, officially signed his full-time contract with the University of St. Joseph Tuesday afternoon in the O’Connell Center lobby alongside University President Rhona Free and Athletic Director Bill Cardarelli.
Calhoun, 76, returns to the sideline with 873 career victories, including 625 in 26 seasons at UConn before retiting in 2012. This is the inaugural season for the St. Joseph men’s basketball team, which will begin as a Division III program. To sign up for West Hartford breaking news alerts and more, click here.
“Whether it’s Division I or Division III, the kids are the kids and the game is the game and I’m looking forward to getting back out on the court and teaching these young men each and every day,” Calhoun said in a statement. “I really missed being a part of a team, and we’re preparing for a great first season at USJ.”
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University of Saint Joseph President Rhona Free, Ph.D., said: “From the first day we started working with Coach, it’s been momentous for all of us – especially our current student-athletes. In terms of recruiting all students, not just student-athletes, he has had what we call the ‘Calhoun Effect’ and we all enjoyed his talk where he emphasized that for all students, academics are the top priority.”
Assistant Coach Glen Miller will be working alongside Calhoun to get the inaugural men’s basketball team ready for their first season, including the opening game against William Paterson University at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 9 at Oosting Gymnasium on the campus of Trinity College in Hartford.
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Pictured: University of Saint Joseph President Rhona Free, Ph.D., left, with new University of Saint Joseph Men’s Basketball Coach Jim Calhoun. / Photo credit: University of Saint Joseph
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