Despite his recent success, UConn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma may follow in Nick Saban’s footsteps and retire sooner rather than later. This was one of the topics discussed by women’s college basketball analysts Mark Zanetto and Tee Baker in the latest episode of “The Hoops Cap” podcast on Friday, Sept. 5. They talked about what the Huskies could be like after coach Auriemma leaves.
Zanetto wondered whether the Huskies would survive as a powerhouse women’s collegiate hoops program after coach Auriemma eventually steps down. Zanetto pointed to former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban as a comparison.
“I think it’ll look different. I think it could go either way. And, I think what ends up happening is because we just saw Alabama lose in the first game of the season to Florida State, and they lost Nick Saban, who is very Geno-esque, right? Dominated the college football landscape. Everyone says you don’t want to be the next guy or girl to replace a legend. But, I listened to this one perspective, and I can’t think of his name so I can’t give him credit,” Zanetto said (26:00).
“So, I apologize, this is not my thought. But, I agree no matter who you pick, that person has to be that, you know, 99% of people feel like you don’t want to be the guy or girl that takes over, right? But, there’s that one-percenter that’s like, ‘I want to be the guy,’ and you want that person. So, whoever it is, you need that person that’s like, ‘I’m in the top one percent,’ that goes, ‘Geno, who?’ Like that is going to respect the transition, the tradition and then, forge their own path,” he explained.
Coach Auriemma is coming off his 40th year at the helm of the Huskies coaching staff in the 2024-25 season, wherein he and the Huskies won the 2025 NCAA championship. This NCAA title berth was the 12th time Auriemma and his program won it all, and they did it by defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks 82-59 in this year’s national championship game.
Read More: Analyst Warns Geno Auriemma’s Replacement Could Doom UConn If Coaching Tree Mistake Mirrors Tennessee’s Pat Summitt Era
Nick Saban Retired From Coaching In 2023
Similar to Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies’ dominance of women’s college basketball, coach Nick Saban dominated the college football landscape during his time with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
In his 16-year tenure with the program, Saban led the Crimson Tide to a staggering six national championships, with the most recent one coming in 2020. He retired from the role in 2023 and now serves as a sportscaster.
Also Read: “Days Of Alabama Under Nick Saban Are Gone”: Stephen A. Smith Calls For Kalen DeBoer To Get Fired In Fiery Rant Following Upset vs Florida State
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