The Wait Is Over: UConn Huskies Coach Jim Calhoun Signs New Contract

Well the wait was excruciating, but happiness reigns today in Storrs.

Nearly 11 months after negotiations on a new contract began, and five months after reports surfaced that the the two sides were a few minor points away from a new deal, the University of Connecticut and head men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun have agreed to a new contract that will run through the 2013-14 season.

Calhoun's five year, $13 million contract is retroactive to the recently completed 2009-10 season.

Coach Calhoun will turn 68 on Monday, May 9—yes, that should be at least a state holiday in Connecticut.

With his new deal, Calhoun finally takes his rightful place as one of the sport's highest paid coaches.

While we're not terribly sure how much Duke's Coach K and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim earn, private schools are under no obligation to release contract details, Calhoun's $2.6 million average annual salary makes him one of the five highest paid coaches in college basketball. Kentucky's John Calipari, and his zero titles, tops the list with an average of $3.9 million a season.

Jim Calhoun has been a head basketball coach in Division I for 38 years, the last 24 of them at UConn. His career record is an amazing 823-358. Under Calhoun, UConn won national titles in 1999 and 2004, and reached the Final Four in 2009.

Some critics believe that Calhoun's protracted contract negotiations, and the fact that his current deal was due to end on June 30th of this year, negatively impacted recruiting. The Wall Street Journal reported that at least one recruit, Josh Selby, opted not to attend UConn partly due to concern that Calhoun would not be there when the season started.

Coach doesn't feel that the program suffered any "permanent damage."

Calhoun proudly declared that he was "very, very, very happy" with this year's incoming recruiting class . At the press conference, Calhoun said the he "was happier than you could know" with the group of kids assembled. He believes we'll see a very fine young team next season.

As Calhoun and A.D. Jeff Hathaway both mentioned, schools with questionable recruiting tactics will use any excuse to recruit negatively; be it job status, health, age, or NCAA investigations.

They were both quite adamant that none of those factors contributed, in any capacity, to the length of the negotiations. Hathaway went on to mention that the negotiations on Calhoun's previous contract were actually longer, despite having less complexity.

Speaking of complexity, Calhoun's contract includes what is likely a groundbreaking clause—a financial penalty for failure to meet NCAA standards for APR (Academic Progress Rate). Hathaway pointed out that many schools have incentives for meeting the APR standards, but that meeting standards was expected at UConn. UConn coaches are not incentivised for their athletes meeting the academic requirements.

In the event that UConn men's basketball receives a scholarship-loss penalty from the NCAA for sub-standard APR scores, which has yet to happen despite UConn having more early entrants to the NBA over the last 10 years than any other school, Calhoun would have to make a $100,000 payment to the university's general scholarship fund.

Due to a variety of factors, including last season's dismal 18-16 campaign, Calhoun's contract situation, and the program going 0 for 5 on the "big name" recruits pursued for next season, there was talk swirling about UConn as a program on the decline. Many believed Calhoun was done, and should just retire.

What a short memory people have nowadays...

UConn was 31-5, and in the Final Four in 2009. How quickly people forget.

This new contract assures that Jim Calhoun—formally know as "The Man Who Built UConn Basketball"—has the opportunity to get the program back where we Husky Blue & White fans feel it belongs.

Here's one man's view of how things unfold—NCAA Sweet Sixteen next season, Elite Eight the next, a third NCAA Championship in the third year, then Calhoun rides off into the sunset. Write that down somewhere—it's happening.

The official press release from the university, and a link to the complete contract, can be found here on uconnhuskies.com .