All things considered, Geno Auriemma is one of the greatest coaches ever to grace the sidelines of a basketball court. His legendary career at UConn began in 1985 and has remained a constant presence at Storrs ever since. The upcoming 2024-2025 season will mark his 40th season with the Huskies and inked a recent five-year extension with the school. Auriemma is 70 years old with no signs of slowing, looking to add to his record 11 National Championships.
Memories are abundant during Auriemma’s time with UConn. That being said, two longtime fans of the Huskies on the Beyond Women’s Sports staff will share their favorite memories.
Martin Ruben on Geno Auriemma
During the years that I have been a UConn WBB fan, several things stick out that have stayed with me. They are not necessarily specific moments or games or players, but more indications of what he thinks and feels about what he does, how he does it, and what I perceive as his responsibility for what he does.
Without question, Geno’s program has produced some of the most dynamic and influential players collegiate and professional basketball have ever seen. Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, and Breanna Stewart all thrived under Auriemma’s tutelage, and have significantly impacted the game. More will follow, cementing his legacy while carrying the UConn tradition.
A few years ago, Geno made a statement regarding the transfer portal. I happen to agree with his observations. This was what he said:
“I’ve never had a really good player leave my program, in 37 years, that left and made it big at a top 10 or top 20 school. That just isn’t going to happen. If you can’t play for me, if you can’t play for us at UConn, you can’t play anywhere at this level. I let these guys be who they are. I just have certain demands on the court, and they have to meet them or they don’t play. They know. I’m fair. If nothing, I’m fair.”
This stood out to me because it is more than fair, it is honest. It is demanding, which, as a coach, is his job. It is not to ask or request, it is to demand. That is as much a part of the UConn tradition as anything, and Geno has never wavered from it.
Geno’s Personality and Coaching Philosophy
But he is far from a humorless man. His sense of humor and love for his student-athletes shines through what some may perceive as a rough exterior. In a recent video, when Nika Mühl came to visit after being drafted by the Seattle Storm, every moment, and every sentiment that they shared was genuine and would have been no different if the camera had not been rolling.
There's no one like @MuhlNika 💙 pic.twitter.com/8x88HFmPOb
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) April 24, 2024
That love permeates his coaching style, along with the perceived harshness and demands. UConn and Auriemma are not for everyone. But those who make that choice and buy into that philosophy and work ethic, will be prepared for the future, be it in basketball or anything else.
The current team is fortunate that he has yet to retire, and those students who will enter the UConn program over the next few years will find it one of the best experiences of their lives. That’s what makes me a fan of UConn and Geno Auriemma.
LaDarius Brown on Geno Auriemma
Auriemma is around my dad’s age but Geno’s slightly younger, yet I’ve always seen him in the same as my dad. When others may have seen him as a curmudgeon, I said that’s Geno being Geno. In essence, what you see is what you get in. One such example is how he talked about a potential one-and-done rule in women’s college basketball. He spoke on the issue back in April on the ESPN Radio show “UnSportsmanLike”:
“If you want to kill it, then let the kids leave after freshman year. On the men’s side, it’s become transactional. Everybody’s a free agent. Everybody’s a mercenary. It’s not the kids’ fault. … To me, what helped the women’s game grow is the people in Iowa got to grow up with Caitlin Clark. The people of Connecticut got to grow up with all of my great players. There’s something to be said for that.”
“It depends whether you want the game to grow or you want to kill it”@UConnWBB HC Geno Auriemma on the potential of a one-and-done rule in women's college basketball #USL with @EvCoRadio @ChrisCanty99 & @msmallmon on @ESPNRadio https://t.co/Jo4DpTAUpH pic.twitter.com/c8eAqrwx1I
— UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio (@UnSportsESPN) April 18, 2024
For Auriemma, it has always been about the players and the growth of women’s college basketball and this stance shows that. As my colleague Martin mentioned earlier, future players at UConn will benefit under his tutelage. Overall, when he does decide to hang up the whistle, he will be missed, and women’s basketball will miss his impact.
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