Former UConn men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun has been named the head coach of the University of St. Joseph’s (USJ) first-ever, Division III men’s basketball team, the school announced Tuesday.
Calhoun, a three-time NCAA National Champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, signed a contract with the school Tuesday afternoon alongside President Rhona Free and Athletic Director Bill Cardarelli. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The 76-year-old returns to coaching after retiring as UConn’s head coach in 2012 after health troubles sidelined him during several seasons beginning in 2003.
Calhoun has notched 873 career wins, including 625 wins during 26 seasons leading UConn from 1987 to 2012. He coached at Northeastern University in Boston from 1972 to 1986.
The Associated Press named Calhoun Coach of The Year in 1990 as he went on to earn four bids in the NCAA Final Four and 10 Big East Conference regular season championships and seven Big East Tournament championships.
“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 released Tuesday. “ I really missed being a part of a team, and we’re preparing for a great first season at USJ.”
Assistant Coach Glen Miller will help Calhoun kick off its first season when it opens Nov. 9 vs. William Paterson University at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity College in Hartford.
