Geno Auriemma - UConn Career

UConn Career

Before Auriemma, the Huskies had posted just one winning season in their entire history. As was true at many schools at the time, Connecticut did not have a strong commitment to women's sports. Both players and coaches had to scrape for facilities and resources. Eventually, some students wishing to form a soccer team threatened to sue the university. The Trustees went on record supporting women's sports, and the administration decided to provide more support, especially for sports with a potential for revenue, such as women's basketball. The decision to hire a new coach was part of this commitment to strengthen the women's sports at Connecticut. Auriemma was the last of a series of interviews conducted by the search staff. Most of the other candidates were highly qualified coaches, and most were female. Ironically, one of those included in the interview process was Chris Dailey, who would become Auriemma's assistant, and is currently the Associate Head Coach at UConn. Dailey was identified as the candidate likely to receive an offer if Auriemma turned down the offer.

Connecticut quickly rose to prominence after Auriemma was hired in August 1985: they finished 12–15 in Auriemma's first season, his only losing season at Connecticut. Since then, Connecticut has finished above .500 for 24 consecutive seasons, including four undefeated seasons (1994–95, 2001–02, 2008–09 and 2009–10) and 2 NCAA record streaks of 90 and 70 consecutive wins. On December 21, 2010, Auriemma led UConn to their 89th consecutive victory, one more than the all-time NCAA men's wins record of 88 held by UCLA; the streak ended at 90 wins. At end of the 2009–10 season, Auriemma's record as a head coach was 735–122, for an 85.8 winning percentage. That winning percentage is the highest among Division I active coaches. His career in Storrs also includes 15 seasons with 30 or more wins. UConn has won 7 national championships under Auriemma (1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, and 2010) and made the Final Four 13 times (1991, 1995, 1996, 2000–2004, 2008–2012). Auriemma has also guided UConn to 19 Big East regular season titles and 18 Big East Tournament titles.

The team has been especially successful on its home court in the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on the UConn campus in Storrs, Connecticut, and in the larger XL Center in Hartford; they tied an NCAA women's basketball record with 69 consecutive home wins between 2000 and 2003. That record was broken in 2011. The last home loss was to Villanova in the game that ended their 70-game winning streak. Moreover, between Auriemma's arrival and the close of the 2005 season, UCONN won 295 games versus just 31 losses. The team has set Big East Conference records for both single-game and season-long attendance.

Auriemma is also known for cultivating individual players, and the Ten multiple-All-America players—Rebecca Lobo, Jennifer Rizzotti, Kara Wolters, Nykesha Sales, Svetlana Abrosimova, Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles and Maya Moore—whom Auriemma has coached have combined to win six Naismith College Player of the Year awards, six Wade Trophies, and seven NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player awards. (The UConn athletics website also notes that, through 2006–07, every recruited freshman who has finished her eligibility at Storrs has graduated with a degree.)

The rivalry between the Huskies and the University of Tennessee Lady Vols has extended to Auriemma's relationship with Volunteers counterpart Pat Summitt; the two, through print and broadcast media, are often at odds. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Auriemma had slightly surpassed Summitt among active Division I coaches for career winning percentage, with Auriemma at 85.8 and Summitt at 84.1. Summitt has one more National Championship than Auriemma, however. Rumors of tension between Auriemma and men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun were widely circulated, but the two apparently reconciled after the teams won national championships, on consecutive nights, in 2004.

Pat Summitt declined to continue the yearly game in June, 2007, to the disappointment of Women's College Basketball fans, but the prospect of NCAA matchups between UConn and Tennessee will keep the rivalry alive.

Since achieving its 1st #1 ranking in the 1994–95 season, UConn under Auriemma is 186-10 when playing as the nation's #1 team. As of the end of the 2009–10 season, he had a record of 127-52 against top 25 opponents and a 57-35 record against top 10 opponents. He won his 600th game on New Year's Eve 2006, accomplishing the feat in 716 games, tying him with Phillip Kahler for the fastest women's basketball coach to reach that milestone. Auriemma won his 700th game on November 27, 2009 in 822 total games becoming the fastest head coach to that milestone in the history of college basketball at any level men or women. He is now one of eight active women's college basketball coaches to currently have 700 or more wins. Auriemma became the 6th coach in Women's basketball history to reach 800 career victories on March 6, 2012 also reaching 800 career wins faster than any coach in the history of college basketball men or women at any division level in just 928 career games. Auriemma was a member of the inaugural class (2006) of inductees to the University of Connecticut women's basketball "Huskies of Honor" recognition program.