Jim Calhoun led the Connecticut Huskies to three NCAA championships, four Final Four berths and seven Big East Tournament titles in his 25-year coaching career, but now the program must step into a new era.

Calhoun's announcement that he will retire on Thursday turns a new page in Storrs, Connecticut. Calhoun's former player and assistant coach Kevin Ollie will take over on the sidelines, but how do you replace someone with his success and experience?

You can't do it. Connecticut's program will take a step back, and it's not necessarily the university's fault. Calhoun was just that good.

This is a coach with 873 career wins. Granted, only 618 of those came as the Huskies coach, but that doesn't change his impact on the UConn program.

The Huskies haven't had a losing record since Calhoun's debut yearin 1986. They have been one of the country's most consistent programs, and they did it without blue-chip players the majority of the time.

Sure, they had their Rudy Gays and Richard Hamiltons, but Calhoun created a foundation based on blue-collar, hard-working talents. Those players seemed to identify with him, and they bought into his system.

He got every ounce out of every player, and he knew how to manage his team in big games.

Just look at the big games the Huskies managed to win. How about Tate George's famous buzzer-beater to beat Clemson in the 1990 NCAA Tournament? Or Hamilton's less famous, but no less miraculous, game-winner against Washington in the 1998 tournament?

Calhoun was instrumental in keeping his team focused during those critical moments. That doesn't even go into the Huskies' 2011 national championship. With or without Kemba Walker, that was Calhoun's most impressive effort.

The Huskies have played with a chip on their shoulders for years, just like their coach. Ollie comes from Calhoun's system, so you'd like to think that will stay the same, but his coaching philosophy could be completely different.

Read more here:
Jim Calhoun Retirement: How Will the Huskies Fare as Life after Calhoun Begins?