Calhoun contract to return him through retirement, But NCAA ready to find viol.

[HouWarrior]

NCAA set to issue UConn report?
By Eamonn Brennan
Yesterday, the new, sports-infused Wall Street Journal honed in on Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun's recent rough patch. That patch includes UConn's un-UConn-like 2009-10 season, the sparse recruiting, Calhoun's occasionally spotty health, even his 2008 outburst at an activist reporter. The story focuses on Calhoun's lack of of a signed contract extension, which was supposedly finalized months ago and which still hangs in the balance.

Calhoun and UConn officials are saying the two sides are "signatures away" from a deal. The remaining dispute was over Calhoun's role after retirement, which has apparently been settled, and all signs seem to point to Calhoun's return.

No, the real piece of news from the WSJ's report has to do with the NCAA infractions committee's investigation into an alleged UConn recruiting scandal reported by Yahoo! Sports in March of 2008. Yahoo! asserted that UConn agent and former Huskies sports manager Josh Nochimson provided recruit Nate Miles with improper benefits. According to the WSJ, the NCAA is getting ready to release the findings of its investigation into the matter:

In another setback for the coach, a person familiar with the matter said a representative from the NCAA, which has been investigating Mr. Calhoun's program for possible recruiting violations, has informed the school that investigators have found violations and will be issuing a report in the near future. [...] UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway and Mr. Calhoun declined to comment on the status of the NCAA investigation. They also agreed that the investigation has not been a factor in contract discussions.

This is bad timing. Calhoun will already be dealing with a depleted roster in 2010 thanks to the graduations of Stanley Robinson and Jerome Dyson, and Calhoun's 2010 recruiting class includes but one player, 6-foot-8 forward Roscoe Smith, ranked in ESPNU's top 100. Calhoun has argued that "rumors" about his contract affected his recruiting in 2010. When you add it all up, you get the following: A 67-year-old coach with an unsigned contract and recurring health problems, a drained roster coming off a disappointing NIT season, a recruiting class that doesn't match what Calhoun usually draws, a still-talked-about cranky news conference with an annoying non-reporter, and, to top it all off, an impending NCAA report on potential recruiting violations that could drop the hammer on the program at any time.

You have to admire Calhoun's willingness to even talk about a new contract. The man is still fiercely competitive. But things are officially starting to snowball, and for the first time since Calhoun took over the Connecticut job in 1986, the future of Huskies hoops doesn't look bright.

[brewcity77]

I wonder if this will have any impact on the potential of a Big Ten offer. With UConn already not an AAU school, I figured them to be an outside shot at best, but their football program is also hardly the major draw of their university. If they can't even field a top level basketball program, something tells me the interest would wane rather quickly.

[willie warrior]

Calhoun will eventually walk away with big dollars and UCONN will be left holding a bag of poop in the aftermath.

Then ESPN will hire him as an analyst for more big dollars. And the beat goes on in College basketball. Calimari: move on over so Big John can come on down!

[avid1010]

Calhoun will eventually walk away with big dollars and UCONN will be left holding a bag of poop in the aftermath.

Then ESPN will hire him as an analyst for more big dollars. And the beat goes on in College basketball. Calimari: move on over so Big John can come on down!

I'd agree with the idea Calhoun will continue to see big $$, but I'm willing to bet he'll leave UCONN looking just fine, and surely better than when he entered. 

[CTWarrior]

Then ESPN will hire him as an analyst for more big dollars.

Have you ever listened to Calhoun speak?  He's unintelligible.  Imagine a stutterer after 20 cups of coffee with a Boston accent kicker.  That and the liver spots make him a must have for any serious college broadcast.  

[willie warrior]

Yeah, I have heard him speak, it isn't too good. Kind of a north eastern Dick Vitale. Look at some of the bozos that are out there doing analysis: Clark Kellogg; Charles Barkley, etc. Calhoun will fill the Conn. connection to ESPN in Bristol, if his health allows it.

[goodgreatgrand]

I wonder if this will have any impact on the potential of a Big Ten offer. With UConn already not an AAU school, I figured them to be an outside shot at best, but their football program is also hardly the major draw of their university. If they can't even field a top level basketball program, something tells me the interest would wane rather quickly.

UConn may not CURRENTLY be an AAU school, but they are certainly a research-based institute. In fact, the B10 is looking at adding UConn because it's simply a matter of time before they get accepted - they spend more money on research than some of the other B10 candidates that are already members of the AAU.