“I lost the joy of coaching”: Geno Auriemma reveals how winning with UConn made him an “angry coach”
Head coach of the UConn Huskies women's basketball team, Geno Auriemma explained how he lost the joy of coaching and became an "angry coach" in a recent podcast appearance. The 70-year-old veteran coach talked about winning with UConn and his journey in college basketball.
Geno Auriemma has the most wins as a coach in college basketball history at any level (men's and women's), holding the records for most wins (1.216) and highest winning percentage among coaches with 10 or more seasons of experience (.882).
In a clip posted Monday on What Drives Winning's YouTube channel, Geno shared his experiences from his coaching journey and how winning made him an angry coach.
"As the years went on and we started winning, I became an angry coach. I lost the joy of coaching. I got caught up in having to prove myself. And I felt it and I knew it. The process was all wrong and the result was all right.
"We kept winning and winning more but that didn't exactly make me happier as a coach. Today I've accomplished things that no one will ever accomplish. So, I hold on to that and if we win our 12th national champs that has absolutely no effect on me whatsoever," Geno said
Still on the subject of coaching, Geno explained the experience of coaching in his early days and coaching when he had achieved success.
So now I coach the same way I raise my grandkids. So, now today I'm only here to help you get what you want, I already have everything I want. So, now I'm more of a service giver. I am happier. I could walk out of the gym everyday feeling like I did a good thing today. I helped these guys today," Geno added.
Geno Auriemma's evolution as a coach
For many, coaching was a career goal but not for Geno. Earlier in the interview, the 12-time Big East Coach of the Year spoke about his early college experience of coaching the high school girl's team and the 'accident' of being a happy coach.
"I got into coaching by accident because a guy kept bugging me to help him out a little bit. I had no interest in it whatsoever. Especially coaching girls, no interest whatsoever in it. And I remember those days when I first did go to help him at practice, coaching high school girls basketball. I was still in college at that time.
"They were 16-17 and I was 21. I was happy coach. I loved going there, I loved interacting with the kids. I could see by the look on their face that coach is helping me be better and couldn't wait to go back the next day. Then I kept doing that. I would drive an hour from school to go practice and an hour back home. Because I loved the reaction I was getting from the kids," Geno further stated.
UConn under Geno Auriemma has been nothing short of remarkable. Since achieving its No. 1 ranking in the 1994-95 season, UConn has a 186-10 record under Auriemma when playing as the nation's top ranked team. At the end of the 2009-10 season, Geno had a record of 127-52 against top 25 teams and 57-35 record against top 10 opponents.
He won his 600th game on New Year's Eve in 2006, achieving it in 716 games, level with Philip Kahler for the fastest women's basketball coach to reach that milestone. Auriemma won his 700th game on Nov. 24, 2009, in 822 total games, becoming the fastest head coach to reach that milestone in the history of college basketball.