He was a college basketball player, while she was a cheerleader, and their relationship would last, and together, they would be basketball royalty. Geno Auriemma and his wife, Kathy Auriemma, have been together since their college days, meeting way back in December 1972. Their relationship started suddenly, after a planned meetup with teammates was cancelled.
When his plans got cancelled, Kathy reportedly asked Geno for a ride home. He obliged, and this kicked off their relationship, which has spanned decades. After his graduation, Geno Auriemma did not play professionally but launched his coaching career in 1977. One year later, he and Kathy got married.
Kathy Auriemma, born Kathy Osler, grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs. She was very progressive growing up and once worked as an English teacher. However, as her husband’s coaching career blew up, she became more involved in the team and even supported the lives of some players in the background.
These days, she is a restaurant owner who runs a cafe called Cafe Aura in Manchester, Connecticut. While she is not officially involved with the team, she helps her husband out whenever she can, as her players, being also women, can talk to her about certain things that he cannot.
With Geno, she has three children, Alysa, Jenna, and Michael, and four grandchildren. Alyssa has spoken much about her parents’ relationship, calling her mom “independent.”
“My mom’s independent streak is what makes her marriage to my dad work. When Dad isn’t coaching during the season, he’s running conferences or going recruiting. Someone more accustomed to co-dependency would not be OK with all that alone time. But my mom shrugs it off,” she wrote.
Geno Auriemma’s Daughter Reveals Their Mom Kathy Has Impact on Players
Saying that Kathy and Geno Auriemma also have an impact on their players’ personal lives might be an understatement, as his daughter Alyssa would attest to. She says that their former players would often invite them to weddings, and her mom would be there for them when needed.
“While the culture of family within the UConn community is only one reason why the team is successful, it’s a pretty large, important cog in the machine. My mom is able to talk to them in a way Dad might not be able to. They trust her. As they should.” She typically travels with the team.” she revealed.
Kathy Auriemma is a common sight during UConn games, and while she does not sit on the bench with some of the coaching staff, she is very active in the background.
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