Geno Auriemma passes Pat Summitt on all-time wins list: A look at UConn coach's top accomplishments
For all of Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma’s on-court achievements — and there are many — it was his address at Kobe Bryant’s memorial nearly a year ago that perhaps best exemplified his view on life.
“I tried to write a long, flowing speech about basketball, and I can’t do it,” he said. “There’s too many thoughts in my head ever since Vanessa asked me to speak, too many things that made me realize that I’m here as a father, not as a basketball coach.”
He continued that his thoughts kept going back to Bryant’s true team, his family. “Because we’re always teammates, you know, we’re always on a team. Sometimes it’s a big team, sometimes it’s a small team.”
He concluded with a final word to Vanessa: “In this room is an incredible amount of talent. In this room is maybe the greatest collection of talent that I’ve ever been around. But in this room there’s a family. And there’s still a team back home. And they still have a great coach. And I’m going to be rooting for that team.”
There’s no doubt Auriemma has assembled some pretty great teams himself. You don’t win 1,099 games as a coach without talented players. But teamwork means many things, and the achievements of his former players on and off the court testify to that.
But for now, as he overtakes the late Pat Summitt, his long-time rival at Tennessee, for second place on the all-time career victories list, we’ll focus on his most notable on-court accomplishments. Here’s a ranking of the most impressive:
11 national championships
Hanging those banners is the most indelible mark of coaching success, and no one in the collegiate basketball ranks – men’s or women’s – has won more titles than Auriemma. The first came in 1995 with a win against Summitt’s Lady Vols in the championship game, and the most recent were a string of four in a row from 2013-16.
1,099 wins
For now, Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer is still ahead of him, but the career wins record might eventually be Auriemma’s alone. As the fastest to reach the 700-, 800-, 900- and 1,000-win milestones, at 66 he doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
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111-game winning streak
The incredible run of victories that began in 2014 and didn’t end until the 2017 Final Four will likely never be matched. The streak broke the previous record of 90, also established by the Huskies from 2008-2011.
No AAC losses in eight years
The other members of the American Athletic Conference were undoubtedly quite delighted that UConn rejoined the Big East at the start of this year. During the Huskies’ eight seasons in the league formed in 2013, the UConn women did not drop a single AAC game.
Six undefeated seasons
Running the table in college basketball is difficult no matter the level. Auriemma’s Huskies have done it six times, including in the 2009, 2010 and 2016 title runs that were part of the aforementioned winning streaks.
12 consecutive Final Fours – and counting?
Earning a high seed every year certainly helps, but UConn will again break its record should it reach the upcoming Final Four for the 13th tournament in a row. The only thing that caused a temporary interruption in the run was the coronavirus pandemic-caused cancellation of the 2020 NCAA tourney.
National player of the year selections
In all, one of Auriemma’s Huskies has been voted player of the year 13 times, most recently Breanna Stewart’s three consecutive Naismith POY selections from 2014-16.
One losing season
Auriemma took over in Storrs before the 1985-86 season after a stint on Debbie Ryan’s staff at Virginia. The Huskies went 12-15 that year, and it was his only sub-.500 finish. By 1991, he’d have UConn in the Final Four for the first time.
Graduation
We’d be remiss if we also didn’t point out that those who stay with Auriemma’s program for four years claim a 100% graduation rate, according to the UConn athletics website.
Olympic gold
Oh yeah, then there’s his eight-year tenure with the U.S. national team that resulted in gold medal wins in London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Follow Paste BN Sports reporter Eddie Timanus on Twitter @EddieTimanus