It’s a buzz-worthy milestone for UConn’s Geno Auriemma
Women’s basketball coach is a win away from 1,000
Storrs — There's a certain amount of buzz leading into the next game that Geno Auriemma is coaching simply because the Hall of Fame UConn women's basketball coach is on the verge of going somewhere only a select few coaches have gone before.
Stories are appearing in publications in Connecticut and around the country about the impending milestone. His players figure to have a surprise or two in store at Mohegan Sun Arena for Auriemma and associate head coach Chris Dailey if the top-ranked Huskies topple Oklahoma on
OKLAHOMA VS. UCONN 7 p.m., Mohegan Sun Arena (CBSSN)
Tuesday in the Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase (7 p.m., CBSSN). But for Auriemma, it is simply business as usual even as he takes aim at his 1,000th career win.
“There hasn't been anything different at my house these last 10 days, there is nobody coming over, nobody calling, nobody sending stuff, no balloons,” Auriemma said after Monday's practice. “My kids, my grandkids, everyone in my family if you ask them what is going on this week?
Oh, Christmas is Monday, for whatever reason. CD (Dailey) and I have talked about it one time and it might have been today. Today she asked me a question about it and we both laughed.”
Auriemma joked that his one mention to his team about the upcoming achievement was followed by perhaps the team's worst practice of the young season.
However, there is no downplaying the significance of the achievement.
The late, great Pat Summitt was the first NCAA women's basketball coach to win 1,000 games, accomplishing the feat in her 35th season at Tennessee back in 2009. Current Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer joined the club in February. Now, not only Auriemma but North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell could win their 1,000th career game on Tuesday.
“How many people have done it period?” Auriemma said. “It is obviously a difficult thing to accomplish because so few people have done it, it has happened so few times and you think about coaching 1,000 games much less winning 1,000 games and doing it all at one school.”
Summitt holds the mark for fewest games needed to win 1,000 games, getting there in her 1,186th game. A win against Oklahoma would improve Auriemma's record to 1,000-135.
These days he admits he finds it easier to rattle off his 10 most disappointing losses rather than his 10 most memorable victories.
Perhaps more than any other milestone he has approached, this one has come with the realization that there won't be too many seasons left for him at UConn.
Auriemma said in the last couple of years the rumors that he is closing in on retirement have been used by some programs fighting it out with UConn for top recruits.
“Now I keep asking them first, ‘you have any questions like when I am going to retire,'” Auriemma said. “Well, now that you brought it up ... I am sure that is what people are going to bring up. One of the things I said to one of those kids who asked me that who is a really good kid, a fun kid to be around, I said well maybe the coach who asked you that question maybe I'll be around longer than they will because I have (outlasted) a lot of coaches. It has come up way more in the last two years than it ever has.”