UConn’s Calhoun Taking Leave

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun took a leave of absence Tuesday to deal with undisclosed medical issues.

The school did not give additional details on the 67-year-old Hall of Fame coach’s condition. He had his prostate cancer in 2003 and skin cancer twice, most recently in 2008.

Dr. Peter Schulman, Calhoun’s primary-care physician, said in a statement he advised Calhoun to take time off “to address some temporary medical issues, none of which involve any previous medical conditions that he has dealt with.”

Associate head coach George Blaney will run the Huskies (11-6) in Calhoun’s absence.

“Our primary concern is coach Calhoun’s health and his complete recovery,” UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway said. “We will do everything possible to support Coach during this time.

Calhoun has won two national championships at Connecticut. He led the Huskies to the Final Four last season, but missed the Huskies’ first NCAA tournament game in March after being hospitalized for dehydration.

Last June, he was hospitalized after breaking several ribs during a charity bike ride.

Calhoun was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005 and has a career record of 816-348.

Several other off-the-court issues had prompted questions about Calhoun’s future, including an investigation into UConn’s recruitment of former player Nate Miles. Calhoun has acknowledged that he or his staff may have made mistakes in recruiting Miles.

Calhoun agreed in principle last month to a new contract that will give him four additional years, as reported by SNY.tv.

It is a five-year deal, but the current season counts as one of the years, according to a source with a direct knowledge of the situation. His current deal, worth $1.6 million this season, expires June 30, 2010 and the new one runs through the 2013-14 season.

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.