Geno Auriemma, who built the UConn womens basketball program from the ground up to a national powerhouse over the last 40 years, earned his 1,217th career victory to set the record for wins in college basketball history on Wednesday night.
Thats a long story, Auriemma said about the journey with the Huskies that began in 1985. The easiest way to answer it is if you just turn over there to where those 60 players are sitting that made all of this happen. That would be a better answer than anything I could give you.
He added later about those players: This is what I was fortunate enough to be able to have. Not every coach, actually, not any coach in America has had the good fortune, the privilege to have the players that Ive had.
Auriemma was referring to the dozens of alumni, including Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya More, Napheesa Collier, Rebecca Lobo and Jen Rizzotti, who were in attendance to see the current No. 2-ranked squad defeat Fairleigh Dickinson 85-41 to move the coach past Tara VanDerveer for the all-time mark.
Of course, the head coach praising his players and deflecting the spotlight was expected.
He gives credit to everybody around him, and he doesnt really take it for himself, senior guard Paige Bueckers said earlier this week. But what hes built here, its here because of him, so he definitely downplays it. He doesnt want to do the whole thing: the celebration, the goats, the ice cream, its all extra to him.
But he deserves it, and we want to celebrate him because he doesnt celebrate himself a lot.
Auriemma said that to him the strongest part was the number of lives he has impacted during his time.
Some great, some a little and some a tiny bit, but we did have an impact on every single one, he said in the postgame ceremony. But they all had an impact on us, some a little, some a little more and some great. But when its over, wherever it is, whenever this is all over, what well remember is tonight, well remember this and Ill remember each and every one of my players that Ive ever coached.
Ill remember them when they were 17 and the look in their eyes of Coach, can you help me do this? And I say, I dont know I think I can, but well see. And now we look back 40 years later and I would say, I don’t know how much I helped them get what they wanted. But they helped me get everything I wanted. So thank you.
Still, the sight of seeing some 63 former players shocked the head coach, who joked, because they had to pay their own way, and if you know any of these guys they all have their Holy Communion money.
Auriemma took over at UConn in 1985 and has run his record to 1,217-162 in his career, including six undefeated seasons. He suffered just one losing season his first on his way to winning 11 titles, reaching the Final Four 23 times with 27 conference tournament titles (20 in the Big East and 7 in the AAC). He has been named the Naismith Coach of the Year eight times, most recently in 2017.
Some of the numbers of his successful transformation are staggering: A 111-game win streak (from 2014-17), 169 wins against conference opponents (2013-22) and 1,083 games without consecutive losses (1993-2023).
Before his arrival, the program had posted just one winning season in the previous 11 years.
But it was never about just one person as the night began with Auriemma and longtime assistant Chris Dailey being honored for their 40 years with the school, as Dailey was hired as an assistant in 1985 and has been the associate head coach since 1988.
“If she hadn’t have said yes when I asked her 40 years ago it’s safe to say that it wouldn’t have happened, it’s too much involved, it’s too big, there were too many things to do that I could never have been able to do,” Auriemma said. “I’m not afraid to admit this, I’ve never kinda done much on my own. Everywhere I’ve been I’ve relied on other people to help me. I’ve just picked the right people all the time, I’ve been fortunate in that respect.
“But if you left me by myself to do something, It wouldn’t get done. No chance. No chance. Zero.”
She just makes people be professional in all aspects of life, Bueckers said. And its stuff that were gonna carry with [us] when we leave Uconn and our pro careers and whatever were doing whether we play basketball or not. Its the things that they teach you in life you carry with [you] everywhere.
And where would Auriemma be without Dailey?
Lost, the star guard said, breaking into a broad smile. I feel like every man needs a woman to be around and keep them in check.
Theyre really a great duo because they both bring different things to the table and they both help each other be better.
They developed my basketball IQ so much, Collier, a four-time WNBA All-Star with the Minnesota Lynx, said during SNYs broadcast about the two coaches. Coming here they taught me how to make reads, they taught me how to play defense. They taught me how to read the game and how to be a true basketball player and not just relying on your talent and bringing the mental side into it.
Bird, who won two titles at UConn before winning four WNBA titles, revealed the recipe for the duos long-time success.
“You two had a belief, you two had a vision of what could be and the special sauce of it all, is that it was never about any of this. It was so simple: get better every day, she said. Thats what you taught all of us, just get better every day.
She added: And look at all these faces cause every person in this room has a coach story, every person in this room has a CD story, they have their own moment where you pushed them to be better than they thought they could ever be and that moment was usually followed by us going back to our dorm room or Teds and having a major vent session starring the two of you.
And the tough love from Auriemma was a theme.
Taurasi, calling out Auriemma’s wife, Kathy, said she always remember those conversations in your driveway. Mrs. A, Im done with this man. And you would say, Me, too. D, me too.
… Banners, hall of farmers, MVPs, champions, players of the years. We always come back cause of you, coach. We come back because of you and dont you ever forget that.
Auriemma said that Taurasi, a three-time champion at UConn, speaking about their relationship was “the most emotional moment” for him.
“Anytime D talks about her time here with me and this program, it’s very emotional for me,” he said, adding that he remembers what they went through together and what Taurasi meant to so many people. “What she meant to me, my family, to my mom. She’s just one of those unique people that comes into your life and you’re better off for having her in your life.
“And people on the outside they see the competitive, snarky D that will cut your heart out. There’s something about her that makes me feel better to know that she’s in my world and I’m in hers.”