Jim Calhoun Agrees To Four-Year Extension With UConn

Jim Calhoun offered an emphatic an answer to the question of whether or not he would be coaching next season by agreeing to a four-year extension with Connecticut Thursday night.

Calhoun, who will be 68 years old by the start of next season, will be entering his 25th year with UConn in 2010.

"Let me officially put to rest the speculation about my future at UConn," Calhoun said in a prepared statement through his agent Jeff Schwartz to ESPN.com Thursday night. "We are close to finalizing a new contract and I plan on continuing as the head coach of the men's basketball team for several more years."

His future with the team has been uncertain because of health concerns, most recently an undisclosed medical condition that forced him to miss seven games earlier this season.

Follow this story and all things UConn at The UConn Blog.

ESPN’s Andy Katz is reporting that Jim Calhoun will return to the Uconn bench to coach the Huskins on Saturday against Cincinnati, more than three weeks after he took a medical leave of absence on January 19.

Jim Calhoun back at UConn and will be at practice today as well as coach Saturday against Cincinnati.

SB Nation’s The Uconn Blog confirms the report and presents the university press release on the matter.

Calhoun’s absence was initially supposed to be for only ten days, but Saturday will be three weeks and three days after the initial announcement.

The Huskies went 3-4 in Calhoun’s absence and their NCAA Tournament hopes are now on life support.

Over at SB Nation's UCONN blog--aptly named, The UCONN Blog--they're all over this story. And upon closer inspection, it seems that Calhoun's leave of absence could have more to do with his mental health, as opposed to physical ailments. At least according to one report from Sports Illustrated, it's stress-related. The  UCONN blog examines the implications:

SI.com's Luke Winn has reported that a source close to the UConn program has said head coach Jim Calhoun's leave of absence is stress-related and will likely not keep the Hall of Fame coach away from the sidelines for long. ... This should certainly come as welcome news to UConn fans, though, as I noted earlier, this issue does raise a lot of questions about the future of the program, especially with regard to Calhoun's contract situation.

Today has certainly not been a fun one for UConn fans, and at least for me, it has forced me to face the unpleasant reality that Calhoun is getting old. ESPN.com had a stat up earlier today that I had never seen before: Jim Calhoun has coached more basketball games than any other active D1 coach. That fact should not surprise me, but seeing it still shocked me. Jim Calhoun has been coaching UConn since before I was alive. I do not like having to contemplate UConn's future without him.

And yet, for all the furrowed brows up in Storrs, Connecticut--as UCONN fans ponder a future without Calhoun--the Hartford Courant is reporting that Calhoun's absence could be as brief as 10 days. That's not so bad, is it?

Calhoun, who visited his doctor early Tuesday, could not be reached for comment. Several sources indicate that stress appears to be playing a role in his leave. One source said that Calhoun's leave is tentatively planned for 10 days.

The good news is this: Calhoun, a man who's been beset by serious health problems in the past, doesn't seem to be facing any serious danger with this current situation. He needs a break, yes. But none of this appears life threatening, and before too long, he should be back on the sidelines scowling, cursing, and shaking his head in disgust. Exactly how we remember him, and exactly why UCONN fans love him. Get well soon, Coach.

While the school has not officially released the ailment that has forced men's basketball head coach Jim Calhoun to take an indefinite leave of absence, a university spokesman said Tuesday night that Calhoun "is not dealing with a cardiac problem or cancer." Additionally, the coach will not be hospitalized. Athletic director Jeff Hathaway had this to say: 

"Our primary concern is Coach Calhoun's health and his complete recovery. We will do everything possible to support Coach during this time. Jim and I both know that the men's basketball program is in very capable hands under the leadership of Associate Head Coach George Blaney."

Blaney will coach the team beginning with Wednesday's game at home against St. John's. 

Calhoun has a long history of illness, including three bouts with cancer. 

In his reaction post to the announcement that Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun is taking an indefinite medical leave of absence, Andrew Porter of SB Nation's The UConn Blog says that not only does the news come at crucial point in the Huskies' season, it's bound to raise questions about Calhoun's (and program's) future.

Calhoun's contract expires this summer, but it was widely reported just a few weeks ago that he and UConn were close to a five-year contract extension. However, since that report was confirmed, both sides have been mum, and there has been no word on whether or not there is a signed contract or where the two parties currently stand. Presumably, if this is just a temporary leave as UConn has indicated (and I have no reason to think its not), it should not effect on the extension, but still, one wonders. In addition, if we're looking at the future, we're getting into prime basketball recruiting season, and knowing the cutthroat nature of college athletics, you can bet some opposing coaches will be using this to put some nasty thoughts in the ears of players UConn is looking at.  

Porter then goes on to pre-emptively dismiss other questions that are bound to come up, specifically ones related to the NCAA following up on  Yahoo Sports' investigation of the program from last March and the idea that Calhoun is quitting on the team while it's struggling.

Head on over to The UConn Blog to read the full post.