Jim Calhoun Owns a Reporter

College, Video / Feb 23, 2009 / 11:34 am

I’d say that of all the college basketball coaches out there, Jim Calhoun is right at the top of the most intimidating list. Calhoun, K-State’s Frank Martin, Bob Huggins and even Pat Knight are some that come to mind…

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20 Responses to “Jim Calhoun Owns a Reporter”

February 23rd, 2009 at 11:49 am

BEdger says:

that was great, Coach Calhoun with the beatdown
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:51 am

Jayy says:

LOVE IT !
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:57 am

Sheedfan87 says:

Absolutely hysterical, but it still doesn’t beat his rant about Ryan Gomes a few years back. That was at the top of the list, followed by Boeheim’s rant on McNamara and how Syracuse wouldn’t have won ten fu*kin games that year!
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:57 am

Rod says:

went to the guys website and he does make some good points(hes a freelance journalist that actually goes to Uconn)……but he had no chance against a person yelling lol…….. he talks about it here http://www.the40yearplan.com/
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:03 pm

M Intellect says:

Owned.
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:18 pm

calvin brodus says:

That coach is a fucking prick. Why shouldn’t a coach’s salary be fair game for reporters? Player salaries are constantly discussed and players are asked directly about their salaries and contracts all the time. This coach is the highest paid state employee (more than the governor) in a state experiencing very significant budget problems. Is it really that unreasonable to raise the topic of what the public university (tax payers) pays him?

There is only one thing more annoying than an arrogant, “I don’t answer to nobody”, player. And that’s an arrogant, “I don’t answer to nobody”, coach. Calhoun should have some class. Or does the million dollar salary he earns not afford him that?
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:33 pm

MissChick says:

He ripped the reporter a new one!
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:36 pm

Kudabeen says:

His salary = His Business

Reporters always step out of line with that. He is an employee…He is the figure head of a profitable program…He leaves, there is a serious drop off in profit…Reporter is talking to a Basketball coach in a basketball press conference about giving back his salary because of mismanagement of funds by the government. Calhoun makes dough now and I’m sure he and his family lives well, but it’s not like he has been making millions for years. Mid-90′s until now his program has been hitting. Dude is on his way out of the game why should he cut his salary? It is just silly.

I loved that Calhoun didn’t run from the question and he handled it. That reporter was just another sycophant out to make a name for his self of the fame of another person…That is lowest form of human. Sadly that is what a lot of media has become…TMZ, Fox, etc.

About him making the most in the State. The fact is his program makes money, so he makes money. Period. That’s the same lame argument that people use talking about Athletes make too much money. If you are an employee of a marketing/merchandising machine that is raking in millions of dollars and your departure from that entity would bring a measure of financial loss guess what…your employer will pay you what is reasonable to keep that dough flowing…Simple Economics.

Yes the numbers are ridiculous. No Athletics do not cure cancer. But, this is the economic system that we sign on to with our silence and our silly belief in the silent American lie, which is “We all have a chance to be rich”…That is not the truth…We have a better opportunity to live well than other places, but rich/wealth is hard to come by…1% Everyone…ONE percent…

Calhoun has a fan in me…That was excellent.
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:43 pm

Kudabeen says:

Calvin:

I hear what you are saying, but it is a manner and mode of professionalism that you should adhere to when you start talking about someones pockets. What we do with athletes and posting their salaries and all is atrocious…It’s all good until people are held up at gun point and targeted/extorted…We love seeing it, talking about it…It’s entertainment. Athletes certainly don’t help themselves by living a “Bling” life-style…

Before you address an employee address the employer. His pockets and the money he earned is his business and he isn’t required to be polite about it.

I know I wouldn’t want anyone coming at me at an IT conference asking me if it is fair that I make the little piece of the pie that I’m able to get from a Trillion dollar company. The company is make the money. They choose to pay me whatever…Don’t ask me about my pockets ask them why I’m worth, worth less or worth more…
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:45 pm

doc says:

He shoulda ended it with u broke bitch!
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:53 pm

MoxWestCoastRep says:

I agree w Snoop on this.
Its a perfectly reasonable question given the economy. Uconn is a STATE school. Which means he is an employee of the STATE.
I’m sure every other official in the state is at least having to consider a pay cut.
I actually agree that Calhoun shouldn’t give any money back cause his team produces and is a profitable part of the budget.
But to freak out at the question is a D-bag move in my opinion.
Get over yourself coach.
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:59 pm

Kudabeen says:

I don’t think he freaked out because of the question…

Here he is 60 or 70 and this fresh face know nothing is in a basketball press conference trying to resolving a billion dollar deficit by examining Calhoun’s pockets. He probably was more taken aback by the sheer nerve of this young buck to question him about making the money he was making…

I’m not saying Calhoun is this hard luck story or anything, but coaching and climbing the ranks is not easy…How much family time and moments has he missed. What was his slary between the ages of 18-50? He isn’t a fat cat…Again he is an employee.
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:05 pm

Steve A says:

Kudabeen—agreed.
There is a time and place for those questions, however. I understand both sides.
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:18 pm

srb says:

..yeah calhoun even giving back half of his salary would do absolutely nothing. the state is just shy of a $1 billion in the hole right now, upwards of $5 billion in 2010-2011, and calhoun’s program is still bringing revenue to the state.

that said, he’s still a jerk. when i went to uconn we all knew it, but my meathead fellow huskies still would kiss the ground he walks on.

geno auriemma is about 3 times as nice as calhoun.
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:27 pm

calvin brodus says:

@ kudabean

You’re absolutely correct, Calhoun isn’t obligated to give back a penny of that $1.6 million the taxpayers put in his pocket. I also agree that, as you put it, there is a “manner and mode of professionalism that you should adhere to”. Calhoun can’t justify his salary to that reporter without flipping out? You just did it in your post; he can’t calmly do the same? That guy is pulling $1.6 million in state money. He is the highest paid state employee in Connecticut (followed by the Huskies football coach and then the huskies womens coach). He is a representative of the state and should act as such. What if the governor reacted like that after a salary question from a reporter? I would totally unacceptable. Calhoun is up there crying about trying to retire on his $1.6 million from the state. People are really hurting right now financially, and he’s whining about retiring on $1.6 million? Yeah, that’s real cool. Makes me want to go buy a huskies hat. And $1.6 million doesn’t include his Comcast or nike deal. Dude is living large; he could at least act sympathetic and sensitive to the financial troubles of his state and then emphasize all the good his program does. Basic PR right there.

A key part here is that Calhoun is a public employee, not private. If your IT company wants to pay you six figures to post on dime all day, that’s their business. But if you’re getting taxpayer dollars, you better act right and be able to justify what you’re pulling. Obama proposed capping executive salaries at $500,000 if the company got bailout money. That reporter asked about the coach’s salary in relation to the budget crisis. It’s a very simple, very relevant question. Calhoun couldn’t fucking handle it and acted like a child.
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:28 pm

calvin brodus says:

my god, that was a long post i just put up there. i didnt intend for that and ill keep it shorter next time.
February 23rd, 2009 at 2:24 pm

Kudabeen says:

It truly is beautiful to be able to not be locked out of the world for 8 hours a day. I can from anywhere on earth, so what I do with the time isn’t a big deal…

Private or state…He is an Employee not an Employer. Yes he could have said politely…

“I will not answer you query in this particular forum young man. If you have time please stop by my office for tea and we can discuss how the government blew our (he does pay taxes as well) tax dollars and how you think giving money to the state would heal the gaping wound caused by the fiscal negligence our publicly appointed officials demonstrated”

He could have did that, but guess what he is a Basketball coach. He is paid to keep the program relevant, win, attract talent, and keep selling out everywhere he goes…He is not a PR diva or the source of the economic hardships people are facing…

We live in a buy first pay later country…that is a base principle. The Irony is as citizens we get crapped on for debt-to-equity ratios and credit score through Government endorsed organizations, but the government would probably have one of the worst credit scores.

either way all I’m saying is there is a time and place. I don’t expect Coach Calhoun to turn into Robert Kagan, Mohamed El-Erian, etc…He is a coach who isn’t contractually required to be polite to the media or discuss his paycheck.
February 23rd, 2009 at 2:36 pm

chan says:

the reporter had it coming, and deserved it. whatever a coach makes, it took someone to approve the salary, so regardless of what the number is, he earned and deserved it. so when a reporter (or anyone for that matter) goes in public to question that, be ready for the repercussions.
February 23rd, 2009 at 3:33 pm

BEdger says:

The coach said that he would talk to the guy about his salary AFTER this press conference out in the hallway. Everyone else was there to talk about basketball, why should the other reporters have to waste their time listening to this guy push his agenda when they have DEADLINES on their BASKETBALL stories?

Talk to the coach about this stuff when 20 other reporters aren’t around trying to get quotes pertaining to basketball.
February 23rd, 2009 at 7:27 pm

headchange says:

“i’m rich, bitch!”