His current contract pays him more than $1.6 million per season and expires in June.

The new five-year contract will be retroactive for one year at a new salary of about $1 million more annually, a source close to Calhoun said. He will have four more years running through the 2013-14 season.

“I feel very comfortable signing a new contract and I think the university feels very comfortable signing a new contract,” Calhoun recently told The Wall Street Journal.

Calhoun, who turns 68 on Monday, has been coach at the Big East school since 1986.

He is 572-220 at UConn, winning national championships in 1999 and 2004.

RICE OFFERS RICHARDSON

New Rutgers coach Mike Rice has offered Arizona assistant Book Richardson a prominent position on his staff, according to sources with knowledge.

Richardson is mulling the offer.

A former New York Gauchos head coach, Richardson has been influential in bringing New Yorkers Kevin Parrom and Lamont “Momo” Jones to Arizona. He also got the Wildcats involved with Queens guard Doron Lamb, who chose Kentucky, and Manhattan Rice senior forward Kadeem Jack, who is headed to South Kent (Conn.).

Richardson previously turned down a spot on Steve Lavin’s staff at St. John’s.

FREE THROWS

Former St. John’s assistant Chris Casey replaced Tim Cluess at Division 2 C.W. Post….Houston guard Desmond Wade, a product of Linden (NJ) High, secured his release and wants to transfer “closer to home,” said his father, Jeff Wade… Gregory Echenique won his medical hardship case and will have 2 1/2 years left of eligibility at Creighton. He transferred from Rutgers.

(Photos courtesy UConn, Arizona Athletics)

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Tom Penders

“Were going to sit back and evaluate the situation,” Jeff Wade, Desmond’s father and an AAU coach with the Select Stars, said Sunday night by phone. “We’re going to see who the new coach is and take it from there and see what the new coach has got to say.

“Des liked Tom Penders, they had a good run. We don’t know after that point.”

The 5-8 Wade was a three-time All-State performer for Phil Colicchio at Linden High. He started 31 games for the Cougars this year, averaging 5.7 points and 5.4 assists.

If he transferred, he would have to sit out a season per NCAA regulations.

Fanhouse reported Penders was forced out and the Houston Chronicle said he is retiring.

ZAGSBLOG reported March 13 that Penders would step down after the season.

A source in the Houston athletic department said athletic director Mack Rhoades told Penders before the season that this would be his last year at the school and that Penders agreed to retire.

After Houston won four games in four days to capture the Conference-USA tournament and qualify for the NCAA tournament, Penders said he wanted to remain at the school, but was told that was not an option, the source said.

After Houston (19-16) lost to Maryland in the first round of the NCAAs, Penders and Rhoades reportedly met Sunday and came to an agreement.

“There will be an announcement regarding the future of the men’s basketball program in the near future,” Rhoades told the Houston Chronicle.

Penders, 64, compiled a record of 121-77 record (.611) in six seasons at Houston. The Houston Chronicle reported that the school would have to pay $500,000 to buy out his remaining two  years.

Penders became the ninth coach to lead four schools to the NCAA tournament. He previously guided led Rhode Island, Texas and George Washington to the Big Dance.

ZAGSBLOG previously reported that former Kentucky and Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie was a leading candidate to replace Penders. Gillispie and Rhoades have a friendship dating to the time when Rhoades was a senior staffer at UTEP.

Several other candidates have been mentioned, including former NBA coach Avery Johnson, former USC and NBA coach Tim Floyd and Texas assistant Rodney Terry.

“I hear Billy Gillispie, Avery Johnson, Tim Floyd and the coach from Texas [Terry] were interested,” Jeff Wade said.

(Photo courtesy Houston Athletics, Houston Chronicle)

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**Click the Video Player at right for the video interview with Ashton Pankey**

NEW YORK — Ashton Pankey is headed to the ACC.

After taking official visits to Maryland two weeks ago and Houston this past weekend, Pankey announced his college choice Monday in the SNY television studio.

“I’ll be attending the University of Maryland,” said the 6-foot-9, 225-pound Pankey, a Bronx native.

“I felt comfortable with the coaches. Coach [Gary] Williams is a great coach. The players, I got along with them really well. And my mom enjoyed it, too, and she thinks it would be a good place for me to attend.”

Pankey chose Maryland over offers from Houston, Rice, Drexel and Hofstra. He said he plans to sign his Letter of Intent Tuesday at St. Anthony.

A strong power forward who can knock down a short jumper, Pankey hopes to develop his face-up game at the next level.

“I can knock down a short-corner jump shot, play that four spot, be an inside presence that they’ve been lacking for the past few years. And I think I can contribute right away if I work hard,” Pankey said.

New York recruiting expert Tom Konchalski described Pankey as a rebounding machine.

“You can certainly shoot to much, you can dribble too much, you can even pass to much,” Konchalski said. “But nobody has ever been taken out of game where the coach says, ‘Sit next to me, you’re rebounding too much.’

“He’s a significant retriever. The best thing he does is he goes after the ball.”

Maryland also has an offer out to Long Island forward Tobias Harris, who visited the campus this past weekend.

Does Pankey think Harris might join him with the Terps?

“I don’t really know where he’s focused on right now,” Pankey said.

Pankey is the fourth St. Anthony senior to commit Division 1, following Devon Collier (Oregon State), Derrick Williams and Elijah Carter (St. Bonaventure).

St. Patrick, which features Duke-bound guard Kyrie Irving and superstar junior Michael Gilchrist, will be the favorite to repeat as New Jersey Tournament of Champions this year, but Pankey says not to count out the Friars.

“Definitely, I think we can have another undefeated season,” Pankey said, referring to the 2007-08 campaign in which the Friars went 32-0. “There’s a lot of St. Anthony pride over there and we want to contribute and have a breakout season.”

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Four St. Anthony players will sign that day: Pankey, Devon Collier (Oregon State), Derrick Williams (Richmond) and Elijah Carter (St. Bonaventure).

Two years ago, Bob Hurley’s team sent six players to the Division 1 ranks: Mike Rosario (Rutgers), Travon Woodall (Pitt), Jio Fontan (Fordham), Alberto Estwick (Fordham), AJ Rogers (St. Joe’s) and Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas).

Pankey visited Maryland last weekend and heads to Houston this coming weekend. He will then choose between the two.

“After that I’m going to decide between the two. I’ll probably sign by Tuesday,” said Pankey, a Bronx, N.Y. native.

Pankey and his mother thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Maryland.

“It was great,” he said. “I liked the overall atmosphere of the school.  I made some friends on the team. The coaches did a great job of showing me and my mother the campus. They took us to the football stadium. They took me to the business school because I told them I wanted to major in business.”

Hurley said Pankey wanted to take a second visit so he had something to compare Maryland with.

“He really liked Maryland and I know he wants to be able to compare Maryland to another school,” Hurley said.

Pankey wants to see what Houston has to offer.

“I might love Houston so I still might commit there,” he said.  “Right now Maryland’s at the top of the list.”

***For the full breakdown on the early signing period in the NY/NJ area, click here.

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