Legendary ex-UConn coach Calhoun reflects on most recent cancer battle

FRANKLIN, MA - NOVEMBER 20: Jim Calhoun, the head coach of the St. Joseph's Blue Jays Division Three men's basketball team, yells from the bench during the club's first ever road game in the Pieri Gymnasium at Dean College in Franklin, MA on Nov. 20, 2018. Calhoun initially signed on as a consultant to help get the program started. Then he took the next step and became its first coach, returning to the game six years into retirement after winning three national championships at the University of Connecticut.

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Legendary head coach Jim Calhoun built UConn into a perennial powerhouse during his 26-year career at the school.

But perhaps his greatest triumph is overcoming his fourth and most recent battle with cancer.

"It's beatable, like everything else in life, but you got to believe that every single minute, and you got to attack it," Calhoun said on ESPN's "E:60." "... Whenever God says it's time, that'll be, but I'll be fighting Him then until the final, last breath."

The Hall of Famer fought Stage 4 stomach cancer for two years before having the tumor removed last October and is now cancer-free.

Calhoun recently came out of retirement and coached Division III men's basketball at the University of St. Joseph this season. The 76-year-old led UConn to seven Big East tournament championships and four Final Four appearances, including three national championships.

Calhoun is one of six coaches in Division I history with three or more national championships and his 873 career wins in Division I play ranks sixth all-time.