UConn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma once reflected on his college basketball dynasty. In 2006, Auriemma was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. In Feb. 2012, his acceptance speech was published on the OfficialHoophall’s YouTube channel.
Right after giving a shout-out to and thanking legendary NBA and collegiate hoops coach Jack Ramsay for his friendship over the years, Auriemma reflected on his UConn coaching run. He said he was tremendously fortunate to be part of a winning program for so long, one that he bodes well, given the mindset he shared.
“It’s very humbling when you’re standing up here and you’re trying to think about the things that have gotten you to this point. As Joe said, I think we’re a reflection of our families, and where we grew up and the way we were raised and the experiences that we had as children and the people we associated with. For me, all my friends—and I can’t name them all—but the guys I grew up with, those that allowed me to play, and those that drove me around,” Auriemma said (4:02).
“My family didn’t have a car. I was a real good teammate because if you’d drive me to the game, I’d pass you the ball ’cause I had a way of getting to the games. So I had lots of guys who really took me under their wing. My high school coach, Bug Garner, allowed me to play on the team. I said, ‘You know, if I can be part of a team the rest of my life, then I’m going to be a lucky guy.’ I’ve tried to do that all my life, be a part of a team,” he added.
Auriemma then re-asserted how the University of Connecticut has made him feel like a huge part of the team over the decades.
At the moment, Auriemma and the Huskies are enjoying the success of their 2025 national championship run, which was the 12th title in program history. They did this by toppling the 2024 national champions, the South Carolina Gamecocks, in the final by 23 points, 82-59.
After his Hall of Fame induction, Geno Auriemma won seven more national championships
After Geno Auriemma was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, he then went on to win exactly seven more national titles with the UConn Huskies.
Their next two came in 2009 and 2010. He followed it up with their four-peat dominant national championship run from 2013 to 2016. As previously mentioned, their most recent win came in 2025.
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