BUFFALO — UConn guards Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright both said they believe 71-year-old Jim Calhoun wants to coach again and believes he can still be effective.
“It wouldn’t surprise me that he misses the game,” Boatright said in the locker room here Friday as UConn prepared to play Villanova on Saturday. “He’s around us all the time. You can see it in his eyes, when we were getting ready for the game (Wednesday), then after we won the game – you could just see it. I know he misses coaching, but I don’t know what his process of thinking is right now. I’m just worried about winning this game.”
Said Napier: “If he feels like he wants to get back in coaching, then so be it. If he does, wherever he goes, I’m going to be a fan of that team. Hopefully, when I’m done with my career, he’ll give me a job.
“I think he’s an intelligent man. He knows basketballs, the ins and outs. If he decides to do so, I’m going to be one of his biggest fans and support him.”
UConn coach Kevin Ollie , who took over after Calhoun “retired,” was asked to chime in.
‘If he wants to get back into the game, more power to him,” Ollie said. “I also know he enjoys those vacations in January”
Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reported that Calhoun is interested in the Boston College vacancy, but Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported BC has no reciprocal interest in Calhoun — who had a cold war with BC after it left for the ACC.
“Someone is speculating, and like I said, I would never say never, and from that it’s grown it’s own life a little bit,” Calhoun told the UConn beat writers here.
“I haven’t talked to anybody. I haven’t asked to talk to anybody.”
Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim was asked if he would be surprised if Calhoun went to BC.
“Not really, if they want to win,” he said, according to William Paxton.
