30 Facts About Jim Calhoun

James A Calhoun was born on May 10,1942 and is a retired college basketball coach.

Jim Calhoun is best known for his tenure as head coach of the University of Connecticut men's basketball team.

Jim Calhoun's teams won three NCAA national championships, played in four Final Fours, won the 1988 NIT title, and won seven Big East tournament championships.

Jim Calhoun won his 800th game in 2009 and finished his NCAA Division I career with 873 victories, ranking 11th all time as of February 2019.

Jim Calhoun is one of only six coaches in NCAA Division I history to win three or more championships, and he is widely considered one of the greatest coaches of all time.

Jim Calhoun worked as a granite cutter, headstone engraver, scrapyard worker, shampoo factory worker, and gravedigger.

Jim Calhoun was the leading scorer on the team his junior and senior seasons, and captained the team in his final year, during which AIC advanced to the Division II playoffs.

Jim Calhoun graduated in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in sociology.

Jim Calhoun was recruited by Northeastern University in Boston to serve as their new head coach.

Jim Calhoun transitioned the team from Division II to Division I in 1979.

Jim Calhoun received six regional Coach of the Year accolades at Northeastern and remains the institution's all-time winningest coach.

Former Boston Celtics captain Reggie Lewis, who played for Jim Calhoun at Northeastern, was a first-round pick in the 1987 NBA draft.

On May 14,1986, Jim Calhoun was named the head coach at UConn.

Jim Calhoun won his first NCAA national championship in 1999, as he led UConn to its first Final Four and national championship over favored Duke in St Petersburg, Florida.

Jim Calhoun led the Huskies to another national championship in 2004, at the conclusion of a season that saw UConn start and complete the year as the number one team in the nation.

Later in 2005, Coach Jim Calhoun was honored by induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, fittingly, along with Boeheim.

Jim Calhoun was the first coach in NCAA history to have won at least 240 games at two different Division I schools.

Jim Calhoun coached 23 UConn players who have moved on to professional ranks.

On September 13,2012, Jim Calhoun announced his retirement and the head coaching position was given to assistant coach Kevin Ollie, who eventually was named the permanent head coach.

On February 3,2003, Jim Calhoun announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Jim Calhoun took an immediate leave of absence from the team, and underwent surgery three days later to have his prostate removed.

On May 30,2008, UConn announced that Jim Calhoun was undergoing treatment for squamous cell carcinoma.

On June 13,2009, Jim Calhoun fell during a charity bike event and broke five ribs.

On January 19,2010, Jim Calhoun took a leave of absence from the team again due to health reasons.

Jim Calhoun had a "serious" condition that he wanted to discuss with his family.

On February 3,2012, Jim Calhoun took a medical leave of absence from coaching as a result of spinal stenosis.

Jim Calhoun returned on March 3,2012, less than a week after having back surgery, to coach the team to a win over Pittsburgh in the final game of the regular season.

Jim Calhoun retired as Connecticut's basketball coach on September 13,2012, closing a 26-year career at UConn.

On September 18,2018, Jim Calhoun was named the first head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of Saint Joseph, an NCAA Division III program in West Hartford, Connecticut.

On November 18,2021, Jim Calhoun announced he would step down as head coach at St Joseph, effective immediately.