Jim Calhoun steps down

More news about: St. Joseph -Conn.-
Photo by Larry Radloff, d3photography.com
 

This afternoon, St. Joseph (Conn.) head men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun announced that he will officially be stepping down as the head coach of the program. Associate head coach Glen Miller will be elevated to acting head coach effective immediately.

"It's just the right time," stated Calhoun. "I'm healthy, my wife (Pat) is healthy, and the USJ men's basketball program is healthy. We built this program starting from scratch about five years ago, and now the team is in a good place. We've got a great new facility and accomplished a lot on the court the past few seasons. I plan to be involved with the university, but there are a lot of things that I would like to do, and it's time to spend more time with my wife and family."

In three-plus seasons at the helm of the Blue Jays, Calhoun concludes his tenure at USJ with a record of 47-17 (.734), leading the Blue Jays to the 2020 Great Northeast Athletic Conference championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament in just the team's second-ever season. In 44 seasons as a head coach, Calhoun boasts a career record of 920-397 (.699) and ranks third all-time in career wins amongst head coaches with a minimum of 10 years at the NCAA Division I level.

"Coach Calhoun has stayed longer and done more for USJ than I could ever have hoped when we first talked to him about launching our men's basketball team and with it, the transition to coeducation almost five years ago," stated Dr. Rhona Free, president of USJ. "No student-athlete could have a better coach and advocate—he monitors and cares about their performance and success in every aspect of their lives. While nobody can replace Coach Calhoun, we're fortunate that Glen Miller has been here throughout and can continue to build the program and lead this team to another successful season."

"Coach Calhoun's immense legacy has impacted our campus community in so many ways," stated USJ athletic director Amanda Devitt. "More importantly, his big personality, his wonderful wit, and his deep love for our student-athletes have changed countless lives. We are forever grateful for his influential work at USJ."

Miller was previously a Division III head coach at Connecticut College, leading the Camels to the Division III Final Four in 2000.