The UConn ship continues to sink.
http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-men ... 4419.story
Calhoun OK With Manuel's Decision On Coach-In-Waiting
No Surprise: Athletic Director Nixes That Suggestion
By DOM AMORE, damore@courant.com
The Hartford Courant
6:59 PM EDT, May 7, 2012
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UConn athletic director Warde Manuel told the Associated Press on Monday that he has no plans to name a designated successor for basketball coach Jim Calhoun.
And, although it's no secret that Calhoun would have liked that to happen, the coach told The Courant that it does not affect his status. He is on the job.
"I'm doing everything I normally do every spring," Calhoun said, "I have two years left on my contract. Warde and I have been having discussions about a lot of things, including the future of UConn basketball. He's the athletic director, and we're working together."
Calhoun said on April 4 that although he advocated a coach-in-waiting, assistant Kevin Ollie being the obvious choice, it would not be a "deal-breaker" if it did not happen. Although there has been some speculation in the past couple of weeks, Calhoun, who has completed 26 seasons and won three national titles, maintained that he is the coach for the foreseeable future. He turns 70 on Thursday.
The idea of a coach-in-waiting has been floating around UConn for quite some time, and it picked up traction when Calhoun missed eight games in February because of a spinal condition that eventually required surgery. Manuel and Calhoun have been having discussions since the end of the season, and school sources said early on that Manuel was not interested in a coach-in-waiting.
"We both want to see that the program stays in good hands," Calhoun said. "And we've talked about various things."
One worry has been the effect on recruiting — that it would be more difficult to get high-level recruits if they did not know who would be coaching in the long term. But UConn did get an oral commitment from 6-10 forward Phillip Nolan, considered a top 100 prospect, last week, an indication that the program still has appeal. The coaches hope to land another frontcourt player soon.
"I don't think it has hurt our recruiting," Calhoun said.
With Andre Drummond and Jeremy Lamb leaving for the NBA draft, Alex Oriakhi and Michael Bradley transferring and Roscoe Smith getting his release, UConn was down to eight scholarship players and, barring an unforeseen change by the NCAA's Committee on Academic Performance, will be ineligible for postseason play in 2012-13. Calhoun has said he does not want to leave the program in "chaos."
Because his contract runs for two more years, Calhoun said he does not feel the need to announce that he is returning next year. He would only make an announcement if he were not returning. Manuel told the AP that he is proceeding on the assumption that Calhoun will be coaching next year.
Ollie, a one-time UConn guard who had a long NBA career, just completed his second season as an assistant under the Huskies' Hall of Fame coach.