Jim Calhoun will return to the NCAA Tournament. This time, however, at the Division III level.
The 77-year-old Hall of Fame coach led Division III University of Saint Joseph men’s basketball program to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference title Sunday — the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament.
It’s the second year the program, rooted from West Hartford, Conn., has existed. Calhoun started the program from scratch when he took the position in 2018, after six years away from coaching. The university was an all-girls school until 2016.
The Calhoun-led Blue Jays have tallied a 26-2 record this year. They went 11-0 in conference play and will enter the tournament having won 25 straight games.
Hall of Fame Coach Jim Calhoun who came out of retirement last season to coach DIII University of St. Joseph, has led the team to a conference championship pic.twitter.com/SwbLo8aCOW
— E60 (@E60) March 1, 2020
Calhoun, of course, is well-known for his time with the UConn men’s basketball program. He spent 26 years in Storrs and led the Huskies to three NCAA Division I National Championships.
Winning has followed him.
