The post UConn’s Geno Auriemma reveals the reason he’s still motivated to coach appeared first on ClutchPoints.
For 30 years, UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma has done it all. Altogether, he has led the Huskies to 12 national championships and put them into national prominence. Along the way, he has produced some of the most incredible talent in the game’s history.
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The players that have come through his program include Rebecca Lobo, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, Maya Moore, and Paige Bueckers. For all that, Auriemma still has the desire to go out and coach as if it were just the beginning, according to UConn on SNY on Wednesday.
“Can I just coach the NCAA Tournament? That would be fantastic. But unfortunately, I can’t. But the journey still inspires me. I still get a kick out of putting a game plan together, seeing our players get better.”
Altogether, Auriemma has accumulated 1,250 career wins and, in addition to twelve championships, led the Huskies to 23 Final Four appearances. Along the way, he has cultivated an intense, hard-driving persona that sometimes pushes his players to the brink. Recently, Breanna Stewart revealed that Geno’s style almost made her consider transferring.
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Additionally, Candace Parker has expressed her dislike for Auriemma while she was playing at the University of Tennessee. Nevertheless, there is no denying the broader impact UConn has had on the basketball landscape under Auriemma.
How Geno Auriemma made UConn into a powerhouse
Essentially, Auriemma used three things to bolster UConn as a juggernaut. He did it through recruiting, building a strong team culture, and doing whatever it took to get the best out of his players.
When it came to recruiting, he emphasized players who shared his same fire and intense drive to win. One of those was none other than Diana Taurasi, whose passion led her down the path to immortality at UConn and the WNBA. Additionally, Auriemma cultivated a team culture through intense practices, emphasizing teamwork over individuality, and expecting accountability.
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Furthermore, Auriemma provided tough love to his players, even to the best of them. He didn’t take any prisoners when it came to his expectations. As a result, he took a program that was nothing and turned it into something and then some.
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