James Calhoun
USA- Biography of Jim Calhoun
- Early Life and Education
- College Basketball Career
- Coaching Career at University of Connecticut
Biography of Jim Calhoun
Jim Calhoun, an American basketball coach, is best known for his achievements as the head coach of the University of Connecticut men's basketball team. Calhoun led the university team to victory in the US college basketball championship in 1999 and 2004. Throughout his career, 25 of Calhoun's players went on to become NBA players. In 2005, Calhoun was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Early Life and Education
Jim Calhoun was born and raised in Braintree, Massachusetts. In high school, he played basketball, American football, and baseball. At the age of 15, Calhoun became the head of his family after his father's passing. Despite receiving a basketball scholarship to a state college in Lowell after high school, Calhoun had to drop out after three months to take care of his family. He worked various jobs, including being a granite cutter, a tombstone manufacturer, a gravedigger, and a warehouse worker at a scrap metal company. After 20 months of leaving college, Calhoun resumed his education and enrolled at the American International College in Springfield, where he also received a basketball scholarship.
College Basketball Career
In his first two seasons, Jim Calhoun became the leading player on the university basketball team. In his third season, he became the team captain and helped them reach the playoffs of the second division of the national college championship. In 1968, Calhoun graduated from college with a bachelor's degree in sociology. From 1966 to 1968, he worked as an assistant coach for the American International College basketball team. He then served as the head coach for high school basketball teams in Old Lyme, Connecticut, and Westport, Massachusetts. In 1972, Calhoun built a strong basketball team at Dedham High School in Massachusetts, leading them to a record of 21 wins and one loss and reaching the semifinals of the state championship.
Coaching Career at University of Connecticut
In October 1986, Jim Calhoun became the head coach of the basketball team at Northeastern University in Boston. He led the university team for 14 seasons and guided them to success in the North Atlantic Conference. One of Calhoun's notable players during that time was Reggie Lewis, who went on to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft and became the captain of the Boston Celtics. In 1986, Calhoun was appointed as the head coach of the University of Connecticut basketball team. Under his leadership, the UConn Huskies became one of the strongest teams in the US, winning the college championship twice and capturing six Big East Conference championships. As of the end of the 2009/2010 season, the Huskies had a record of 575 wins and 221 losses under Calhoun's guidance.
