Jim Calhoun's longstanding tenure with the University of Connecticut seems to have reached its end.
The longtime coach will officially retire from coaching the University of Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team on Thursday at 2 p.m, according CBSSports.com.
The 70-year-old Calhoun leaves UConn after 26 years of service. Current assistant coach and former player, Kevin Ollie, will replace Calhoun as head coach.
Calhoun's exit comes at a peculiar time for the Huskies' basketball program. The team is ineligible to play in both the 2013 Big East tournament and 2013 NCAA tournament due to their failure to meet the criteria set by the NCAA's new Academic Progress Rate (APR) program.
Because too many players have transferred out of or failed to graduate from UConn, the team has to be penalized.
Questions about Calhoun's health also factored into the decision to retire. He fractured his hip in August while riding his bike, and we cannot forget that the iconic coach has battled to beat cancer three times during his career. Calhoun also missed eight games in the 2011-12 season due to a spinal condition.
Calhoun's 40 years on the sidelines certainly took a toll on his body, but it was no pain, no gain for the NCAA legend, as he leaves the game with a trophy case full of accolades. His 873 collegiate wins put him sixth on the all-time list for Division I victories. Calhoun also walks away from the game with three national championships, winning the title in 1999, 2004 and 2011.
Tasked with the tall order of replacing Calhoun is Ollie, who has been an assistant with UConn since the 2010-11 season. Ollie played for the Huskies from 1991 through 1995. He also went on to play 13 seasons in the NBA for 11 different teams.
UConn begins practicing in less than a month and will tip off their season against American International College on Nov. 1.
