Geno Auriemma’s UConn made history with its 12th NCAA title earlier this year. Paige Bueckers, in her redshirt senior season, and GF Azzi Fudd, in her senior season, led the UConn Huskies to the national championship.
Over the course of his 40-year coaching career, Auriemma has transformed UConn into one of the most successful and prominent college basketball programs in history.
Coach Auriemma has tasted success more than anyone in college basketball. After 12 NCAA titles, the 71-year-old has made peace with both success and failure. He recently drew comparisons between winning the first title in 1995 and the latest title in 2025.
“1995, compared to these days, was like landing on the moon, you know. Like I said, when we got back and we were going down 91 on our bus and helicopters are following us and you know you’re all too young to remember this but you know and Jamal getting a kick out of you know. We’re like OJ you know, they’re chasing us down the highway with helicopters, and so you think back to 30 years ago and to today,” Geno recalled.
He remembered winning his first title with the UConn Huskies and added:
“I think back to those days and my only thought back in those days was, ‘I need to hide. I don’t want anybody to see me. I don’t want to see anybody. I don’t want to talk to anybody. I don’t want to be a part of this, you know, like this is overwhelming. This is too much for us to handle, you know, as a program. It’s too much,’ to now I walk around the street say, ‘Hey, there’s the guy that coaches UConn.’ ‘Oh, nice. How are you?’ ‘I’m good. Thank you.’ It’s just kind of refreshing to be honest with you.”
Geno Auriemma Talks About 12th NCAA Title
Coach Auriemma also talked about how he experienced last season’s championship differently from other times.
“It feels a little bit more detached like I’m either consciously or subconsciously. I’m separated from it all. I’m almost looking at it from the outside as opposed to being on the inside and, you know, experiencing all this. I mean, from the final buzzer on, I’ve just kind of been like at the parade, you know? Just watching everything happen in front of me, kind of getting a kick out of all the reaction of all the people and the players. Um, so yeah, truly this one has felt way, way different than all the rest,” Geno said in the same video.
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