Geno Auriemma has redefined the meaning of success in women's college basketball in his 40 years as head coach of the University of Connecticut.
During his illustrious tenure, Auriemma has transformed the UConn program into the standard that all others are measured, both on and off the court.
Under his guidance, the Huskies have been transformed from a program with only one winning season, to its current state, which includes 12 national titles, 22 Final Fours, six perfect seasons (1995, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016) and 55 Conference titles, all since Auriemma's arrival in 1985.
On the court, his success includes 12 national championships, including a record 90-game winning streak and a record fourth-straight national title in 2016. Off the court, success means a flawless, 100 percent graduation rate among four-year players and one of the most beloved and followed sports teams in the country.
This unmatched success, which is the standard for collegiate programs nationally, was recognized with Auriemma's induction into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield, Massachusetts) and the Women Basketball Hall of Fame (Knoxville, Tennessee) in 2006.
In addition, Auriemma recently finished a successful eight-year term as the head coach of the U.S. National Team, which won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2016 Games in Rio. Auriemma's squad included six former Huskies and posted a spotless 16-0 record en route to the gold medals. Auriemma also led Team USA to gold at each of the last two FIBA World Championships.
He is the first coach in women's basketball history to guide a team to five consecutive Final Four appearances on two separate occasions and a run of ten-consecutive Final Four appearances is also a record. Auriemma is an eight-time national coach-of-the-year and has been named the Conference coach-of-the-year 13 times. In all Auriemma has garnered more than 30 National Coach of the Year honors.
His 40-year overall record stands at 1149-150—the best winning percentage in the history of the sport and he became only the fourth coach all-time to eclipse the 900-win mark when the Huskies defeated Cincinnati on February 3, 2015. Auriemma reached win number 900 in fewer games than any coach in the history of the game.
Under Auriemma, UConn has captured both a conference regular season and tournament title in the same season 18 times.
The Huskies have won the conference tournament crown in 10 of the past 12 seasons. Connecticut extended its streak of consecutive NCAA Regional appearances to 23 straight and advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the 17th time in the program's history. Auriemma also guided UConn to its 22nd 30-win season in 2015-16 and its 21st in the past 23 seasons.
Auriemma is a 1981 graduate of West Chester with a B.A. in political science. He resides in Manchester, Connecticut, with his wife Kathy. They have three children and three grandchildren.
