UConn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma once made it crystal clear that he and his program do not play players based just on talent. On an episode of “What Drives Winning” on YouTube back in Jan. 2018, coach Auriemma was featured in a guest interview to discuss the several aspects of his program and coaching style that have made it the most successful in women’s college hoops history.
But the video started off with a clip that went viral during Auriemma’s 2016 NCAA Final Four media availability. There, Auriemma was giving his thoughts on how he and his program recruit kids and choose who to play. But, no matter the case, the leading factor for the Huskies program, Auriemma says, is the kind of body language a certain player exudes rather than their individual talent.
“Recruiting enthusiastic kids is harder than it’s ever been because every kid watches TV, and they watch the NBA… And what they see is people just being really cool, so they think that’s how they’re going to act. They haven’t even figured out which foot to use as a pivot foot, and they’re going to act like they’re really good players,” he shared. (0:02)
“You see it all the time; you see it every day. You see it in AAU tournaments, every high school game. So, recruiting kids that are really upbeat and loving life, and love the game, and have this tremendous appreciation for when their teammates do something well; that’s hard. It’s really hard. So on our team, my coaching staff and I, we put a huge premium on body language. And if your body language is bad, you will never get in the game again, ever. I don’t care how good you are,” Auriemma added.
Currently, Auriemma is coming off the recently concluded 2024-25 campaign with the Huskies, in which they won 37 games total and lost just three, including going undefeated, 18-0, during 2025 Big East conference play. UConn then went on to win its 12th national title in program history after it defeated the 2024 defending national champions, South Carolina Gamecocks, in this year’s NCAA title game by 23 points, 82-59.
Geno Auriemma Asserts That He’d Rather Lose Than Watch His Players Perform With Bad Body Language
Later on, in the aforementioned press conference interview, he conducted in the 2016 NCAA Final Four, coach Geno Auriemma asserted that he’d rather lose games than see his team play with bad body language and negative auras. The now 71-year-old also said that he is completely aware of the privilege his team possesses with the influx of talent they have, but he still doesn’t care about it.
“The other coaches might say, ‘Well, you can do that because you got three other All-Americans.’ I get that, I understand that. But, I’d rather lose than watch kids play the way some kids play. I’d rather lose, and they’re allowed to get away with just, whatever. They’re always thinking about themselves,” Auriemma said. (1:40)
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