UConn will hold a press conference at 10:45 Friday morning to announce a contract extension for head coach Jim Calhoun.
His current contract pays him more than $1.6 million per season and expires in June.
The new five-year contract will be retroactive for one year at a new salary of about $1 million more annually, a source close to Calhoun said. He will have four more years running through the 2013-14 season.
“I feel very comfortable signing a new contract and I think the university feels very comfortable signing a new contract,” Calhoun recently told The Wall Street Journal.
Calhoun, who turns 68 on Monday, has been coach at the Big East school since 1986.
He is 572-220 at UConn, winning national championships in 1999 and 2004.
RICE OFFERS RICHARDSON
New Rutgers coach Mike Rice has offered Arizona assistant Book Richardson a prominent position on his staff, according to sources with knowledge.
Richardson is mulling the offer.
A former New York Gauchos head coach, Richardson has been influential in bringing New Yorkers Kevin Parrom and Lamont “Momo” Jones to Arizona. He also got the Wildcats involved with Queens guard Doron Lamb, who chose Kentucky, and Manhattan Rice senior forward Kadeem Jack, who is headed to South Kent (Conn.).
Richardson previously turned down a spot on Steve Lavin’s staff at St. John’s.
FREE THROWS
Former St. John’s assistant Chris Casey replaced Tim Cluess at Division 2 C.W. Post….Houston guard Desmond Wade, a product of Linden (NJ) High, secured his release and wants to transfer “closer to home,” said his father, Jeff Wade… Gregory Echenique won his medical hardship case and will have 2 1/2 years left of eligibility at Creighton. He transferred from Rutgers.
(Photos courtesy UConn, Arizona Athletics)
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HuskiesNYC / May 6, 2010
Jim Calhoun has won 2 National Championships, yet he makes 4 times less than Calipari? Nothing against Kentucky but Calipari has accomplished NOTHING. Calhoun also gets questioned about his salary on ESPN and has WSJ, every national media member, sh#y uninformed journalists, and the NCAA after him? I guess they are out for UConn. Aparently Coach can’t recruit anymore even though he’s brining in 3 top 100 recruits according to Scouts.com and Rivals.com?
Calhoun is underpaid without a doubt. He has earned every CENT he has ever made the hard way. Coach C has won National Championships for UConn and deserves the highest salary available. To all the programs that think we are on the decline – get ready to play us!
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Michael / May 6, 2010
Huskies, agreed that Calhoun is a stud but let’s keep Calipari and UK out of at least one thread.
What exactly is a “prominent” position? The way things have gone lately for Arizona I wouldn’t be surprised if he left.
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UAWildcat / May 6, 2010
Is an asistant job at Rutgers better than one at St. John’s?
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blasphemy / May 7, 2010
Cal did so little this year that he beat UConn in MSG. You are right, he did NOTHING!!!
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BlueCat32 / May 7, 2010
I could be like all the UK/Cal haters and say-
“Nice birthday present,maybe since he’s getting more dough he will be able to pay his recruits more now ” 🙂
But seriously though he is a great coach with an outstanding winning history…Good Luck to him and his team.
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ArizonaWildcat27 / May 7, 2010
Michael,
What exactly has gone on at Arizona that wouldn’t surprise you if Book left? What, cause we missed the tournament last year for the first time in 25 years?
Because the last two years we’ve been trying to replace a Hall of Fame coach and only made it to the Sweet 16 last year?
Please! Miller had an empty cupboard going into Arizona and he’s on track to bring us back in the national spotlight, may take a couple more years but we’ll be back.
And people are going after Book because of his Eastern ties and he’s a great recruiter. No surprise here that he’s been getting a bunch of looks. That’s what happens when you have great assistants.
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Michael / May 7, 2010
ArizonaWildcat, I have complete faith in Miller long term with or without Book. And while I wasn’t completely serious, I was more referring to our recruiting and the fact we missed out on almost everyone. Now I know Miller started late with most of them, and we lost out to UK, KU and a recruit’s father, but it seems we have had bad luck the last few months. Throw in Jack and I just feel like anything can happen, that’s all.
Long term, no doubt in my mind he returns us to the promised land.
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ChicagoUK / May 7, 2010
I hope JessieWildcat is OK today.. he loves “Book”..
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520Wildcat / May 7, 2010
We did miss out on Lamb, Selby, Jack, etc., but oh well. It’s hard to build a relationship with these kids in just a matter of months and expect them to commit. Miller and staff will succeed, it was going to be tough this year, but we like the talent we’re bringing in this year, despite it not being so highly ranked. We still have Vargas on our radar, and from the sounds of it he’s our to lose at this point. We’ve had some bad luck, but we’ll recover, we want kids that legitimately want to be a part of Arizona, rather than a one year stop.
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520Wildcat / May 7, 2010
I’m sure he’s fine. “Book” turned down St. John’s which is a better offer in my opinion. I don’t think he’s leaving yet, because he knows with him gone, so is Sidiki Johnson to Arizona, “Book” has a little more integrity than that, but we will see.
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JessieWildcat / May 7, 2010
Chicago UK….
JW is a supporter and avid reader of The BOOK.
For sure.
JW also is an advocate of the Book + WOOK.
Book is not going to that small school.
Book, in a few years, will be offered a HC position.
SO, the wait is ON.
(PS- how did you know, I spent some time in Vegas with a Chicago gal. LOL)
Note:
What the HECK is going on with Cali!!
Has he gone over the EDGE?
He lost out to the NC and had a stacked team.
Last year, was Cali’s best chance of getting a NC.
So, CALI is desperate and doing some ??? THINGS.
UK horsemen are making things WORSE.
UK already has some 6+ NCAA violations. Right?
And it is looking like more are coming….please tell me Goofy is doing something.
Goofy= AD of UK.
Time to share….what is going on at UK.
Cali – stop it…before the no-teeth ncaa opens the door.
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RockChalkWoody / May 7, 2010
Jessiewildcat, back from the dead. Josh Selby says hi. Can’t wait to see him run circles around Momo in Vegas!
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