(AP)
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Jim Calhoun is leaving Connecticut after coaching it to three national titles, ahead of a season in which the Huskies will be ineligible for the NCAA tournament because the team violated national academic standards. The 70-year-old Hall of Famer scheduled a news conference for 2pm today to announce his retirement, a person familiar with the decision told the AP. Assistant coach Kevin Ollie, who played for Calhoun and was his hand-picked successor, will be introduced as the Huskies' new coach.
Ollie will receive a one-year contract, the source said. The Huskies will open this year with just five players who saw significant playing time last season. Calhoun racked up 873 collegiate wins—625 of them at his beloved UConn, where he ran the men's program for 26 years and won three national titles. Recently, though, Calhoun has struggled with health problems, including a fractured hip that required surgery and left him on crutches after a bicycle accident last month. He'd also run into trouble with the NCAA, serving a three-game suspension last year for failing to maintain an atmosphere of compliance with NCAA rules.
