Geno Auriemma’s heated exchange with Dawn Staley after UConn’s loss in the Final Four is still the talk of the town. Several comments have been made about the two coaches going at each other in the last 24 hours.
Recently, UConn men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley chimed in to share his thoughts on what happened. Hurley was asked this question after his team defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Final Four.
Hurley’s UConn Huskies will play the Michigan Wolverines in the championship game on Monday. Coming back to his comment on Auriemma, Hurley joked about his outburst, trying to lighten up the mood.
He took the blame for Auriemma’s behavior, stating that he’s been around Coach Geno for a while, and some of his influence has rubbed off on him.
“Obviously, I’ve had a very negative influence on Geno,” he said.
Hurley also gave a serious answer on this subject, which was necessary considering how heated things got between Auriemma and Staley yesterday. He said that Auriemma has been a huge help to him.
He was also confused by how Auriemma reacted in the final second of the game as his team was going to lose. Hurley stated that, in his opinion, Auriemma is a great person who is known for not losing his cool.
“Geno’s helped me so much. The way he handled the whole thing, he’s such a standup guy with the statement, and he’s one of the classiest people,” he said. “If anyone should get the benefit of the doubt…He’s truly one of the most authentic, genuine, great people you’ll ever meet in your life.”
Staley or the South Carolina Fans didn’t give him the benefit of the doubt because what they witnessed from Auriemma was unacceptable.
Geno Auriemma on His Relationship with Dawn Staley
After the game, Auriemma was asked about his relationship with Dawn Staley off the court. The Huskies’ head coach said that he doesn’t have any relationship with her because they don’t have much in common.
He recalled Staley being his assistant coach during the 2014 FIBA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. Other than that, they’ve always been on the opposite side. Auriemma said that he has a lot of respect for her.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for her for what she has done at South Carolina,” he said.
Auriemma also praised Staley for putting South Carolina, which was a struggling program when she joined, on the map.
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