Jim Calhoun to step down as head coach of Saint Joseph men’s basketball

After helping the University of Saint Joseph get its men’s basketball program off the ground, former UConn head coach Jim Calhoun is stepping down as the Blue Jays’ head coach effective immediately. Calhoun, now 79 years old, has battled various illnesses the past few years, but is now in good health and looking forward to spending time with his and family at his homes in Pomfret, Connecticut and Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Five years after retiring from UConn after 26 seasons on the sideline and three national championships, Calhoun returned to coaching to help USJ’s men’s team get up and running as the school expanded from an all-girls school to co-ed. He was successful from day one, leading the Blue Jays to a 16-12 record in their first ever season, featuring a team of primarily freshman. The next season, he led USJ to the NCAA Tournament and a 26-3 record with the publicity and success of the team helping the university complete a $15 million renovation of their athletic facilities.

While USJ played just four games last year, winning two, due to COVID-19, the Blue Jays are once again a Division III contender, currently ranked No. 9 nationally and are 3-0 on the season, defeating Babson 76-59 on Wednesday.

Calhoun told the Courant’s Dom Amore that Glen Miller, a long time UConn associate head coach who occupies the same position at USJ, will take over as head coach. With his retirement, Calhoun finished his tenure at Saint Joseph’s with a 47-17 record, the highest winning percentage of his career. Overall, he’s won 920 games in his career as head coach at Northeastern, UConn and USJ, including three titles with UConn in 1999, 2004 and 2011.