James A. Calhoun was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his coaching achievements in the sport of basketball and overall contributions to the Northeastern athletic program.
As men's basketball coach for 14 seasons, Calhoun brought Northeastern to the national forefront and established Husky basketball as a New England powerhouse. From American International College, where Calhoun graduated from in 1968, Calhoun embarked on a coaching career that would take him from Dedham High School to Huntington Avenue and Northeastern. Five NCAA Tournament appearances in six years, between 1981 and 1986, and in the process just as many ECAC North Atlantic Titles, have been the work of Calhoun, the winningest coach in Northeastern basketball history with 250 wins and five 20-win seasons.
Calhoun became widely respected by his peers as a court tactician and recruiter. Names like Dave Caligaris, Mark Halsel, Pete Harris, Perry Moss and Reggie Lewis have been inked to Northeastern rosters. Of the top ten scorers on Northeastern's all time list, Calhoun coached seven of them. Over his last seven years, the Huskies were 154-54, including a log of 71-13 in the North Atlantic Conference.
At AIC, Calhoun was a Small College All America for the Yellow Jackets and finished as the school's all-time leading scorer. He captained AIC in his senior year and led the team to the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
Calhoun departed Northeastern following the 1985-86 season and a fifth NCAA Tournament berth, for Storrs, Conn. and the University of Connecticut, where he turned that program into a national powerhouse.
