Jim Calhoun is a man who has proven to be a winner in everything that he does. In all aspects of his life, he is a successful manager and leader. To his family, to his community, and to his career, Jim has been nothing short of a hero. Symbolic of the way he handles all of his endeavors; Calhoun took over the Connecticut Huskies men's basketball program and pledged to, "do it the right way, with no short cuts" (uconn.edu. p.1). He talks the talk and then walks the walk, which is a hard combination to achieve. This positive, winning attitude, and the unwillingness to quit have propelled Jim Calhoun into one of this country's most powerful and successful leaders. This paper will give background on coach Calhoun, show a timeline of achievements, examine his styles for effective leadership, and show how Jim Calhoun is a great motivator, leader, and role model.
Background.
Jim Calhoun graduated from Braintree High School in Massachusetts, where he was a three-sport letterman. He then graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from American International College (A.I.C.) in Springfield, Massachusetts. His ability to be a leader emerged early on as he lettered for three years on the basketball team, and served as their captain for his senior campaign. He graduated as the school's fourth all time leading scorer, and is a member of the A.I.C. Hall of Fame. .
After serving as assistant coach for two seasons at A.I.C., and one year each at Old Lyme High School in Connecticut, and Westport and Dedham High Schools in Massachusetts. He accepted his first college head-coaching job at Northeastern University (NU) in Boston. He helped to lead Northeastern from Division Two into the Division One ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Jim left Northeastern as the most winning coach in school history. After fourteen seasons, his 250-137 record earned him the New England "Coach of the Year" title three times, and a place in Northeastern's Hall of Fame.