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UConn legend Calhoun steps down as coach at University of Saint Joseph

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Legendary former UConn men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun stepped down from the head coaching position at Division III program Saint Joseph effective immediately, the school announced Thursday.

"It's just the right time," Calhoun said. "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.

Calhoun, 79, has been at Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut, since September 2018 when he was named the first men's basketball coach in the school's history. In three-plus seasons with the Blue Jays, Calhoun amassed a 47-17 (.734) record and guided them to the 2020 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship and a spot in the Division III Men's Basketball Tournament.

"We've got a great new facility and accomplished a lot on the court the past few seasons," Calhoun added. "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."

Calhoun is best known for a 26-season tenure at UConn where he led the Huskies to three national championships in 1999, 2004, and 2011. The 2005 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee was also at the helm for seven Big East Tournament victories and 10 regular-season conference titles as part of a celebrated reign that transformed the Huskies into a national powerhouse.

Calhoun initially retired from coaching while at UConn in September 2012 and worked in television and on charitable causes before ending his coaching hiatus in 2018 with Saint Joseph.

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