As Geno Auriemma became the all-time winningest NCAA basketball coach with UConn basketball on Wednesday, the accomplishment means more to him than just wins. The 40-season head coach told ESPN about the most profound moments of his career.
“No amount of championships and no amount of numbers or awards can take the place of the lives that we’ve impacted, that they’ve allowed us to impact,” Auriemma said. “That, to me, is the strongest part.”
Auriemma dominated the women’s college basketball scene and still does. Players like Rebecca Lobo, Sue Bird, and Diana Taurasi highlighted dominance. Even current WNBA stars like Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier have dominated the league since playing under Auriemma. From MVPs to Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year trophies, the UConn pipeline remains strong. Even Bird got gushy about Auriemma’s achievement.
Stories have poured in from Auriemma’s former players, and specifically Taurasi. She made a joke about her time and recalled a conversation, via Daniel Connolly of UConn WBB Weekly. “Mrs. A (Geno’s wife Kathy), I’ll always remember the conversations in your driveway where I said, ‘I’m done with this man.’ And you said, ‘Me too.’”
Geno Auriemma leaves a lasting legacy with UConn basketball
That’s just a glimpse of the impact he’s had on the lives of his players. A standard that at times seemed unrealistic to them, but he knew exactly what he was doing. He set the standard for not only a basketball program but an entire sport. Although he hasn’t called it a career anytime soon, when that time happens, Auriemma said he’ll fondly remember this night.
“When it’s over, whenever it is, what we’ll remember is tonight, and I’ll remember each one of my players that I’ve ever coached. … I don’t know how much I helped them get what they wanted, but they helped me get everything I wanted.”
40 years of an impact is impressive for any sport, let alone a single person. Nonetheless, the UConn basketball coach has adopted his philosophy to the changing times.
“We never sat down and said, ‘Hey, let’s make a 40-year plan and see if we can make this happen,’” Auriemma said. “It’s about coming here every day and trying to be better than we were yesterday.”
Auriemma’s legacy will be enshrined as long as he remains in Storrs. Players will still want to play for a great, even with the rise of Dawn Staley with South Carolina basketball. For now, the UConn basketball coach will continue to relish in his successes with his players being better than they were when they first stepped on the campus.
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