Men’s Basketball Coach Jim Calhoun to Undergo Surgery; Will Not Coach Against Syracuse, Providence

The Hall of Fame coach will undergo surgery for his ailing back; his coaching status for the rest of the year will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis.

Men's Basketball Head Coach Jim Calhoun speaks to the crowd during UConn Basketball First Night at Gampel Pavilion on Oct. 14, 2011. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

Hall of Fame head men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun will undergo a surgical procedure Monday to help alleviate the spinal stenosis that has forced him to take a medical leave of absence.

Calhoun is expected to be hospitalized for one or two nights, followed by a recovery period at home. He will not coach the Huskies’ games against Syracuse on Saturday or at Providence on Tuesday, the seventh and eighth games that he has missed due to the lower back condition. His coaching status will then be evaluated on a day-to-day basis.

“I’m glad we have finally determined the best course of treatment to deal with the problem,” Calhoun said. “I’m looking forward to having the procedure done, hopefully recovering as quickly as possible, and putting it all in the past.”

The Huskies play host to Pittsburgh in their final regular-season game on March 3 at Gampel Pavilion. Postseason play begins with the Big East Championship on March 6-10 in New York City.

Associate head coach George Blaney will continue in charge of the team in Calhoun’s absence, with Kevin Ollie ’95 (CLAS), Glen Miller ’86 (CLAS), and Karl Hobbs ’86 (SFS) serving as assistant coaches.