Coach Calhoun Retires

Coach Jim Calhoun

Is it the end of an era?   I doubt it.   That doesn't diminish the mark that UConn Men's Basketball Coach Jim Calhoun leaves on this entire university upon his retirement.   ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd practically made it sound as if the University of Connecticut - "this cowpath in Storrs" - really had little reason to rise to such heights in the NCAA if not for the toughness of Coach Calhoun.   While there's no denying how indispensable he has been in leading the Huskies to the big time since he was hired in 1986, the culture he embodied was in abundance throughout the university system which saw major investment and expansion in every aspect of UConn.    The university's prestige has been enhanced not only by the extraordinary successes of both men's and women's basketball and the investment in football.   That is a telling testimonial to successive administrations in Storrs and Hartford, and it may be the biggest part of Calhoun's legacy.   Every department at UConn has been a beneficiary of that prestige.    A tour of the main UConn campus will tell the most casual observer that this is - and has been for some time - much more than a "cowpath" in the middle of nowhere.    UConn athletics has generated many celebrities during the Calhoun era.   There have been countless great moments, too.   My favorite was the men's first NCAA title in 1999.   What's yours?