The impressive numbers of Geno Auriemma's 40-year career at UConn tell one story—12 national titles, 24 Final Fours, 36 straight NCAA tournament berths, eight Naismith Coach of the Year awards, and the list goes on.
In a recent appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, Auriemma told a very different story of the constant self-doubt he faced throughout his coaching tenure. He also talked to Patrick about his thoughts on retirement, having just ended the Huskies' "drought" and clinched his first title since 2016.
UConn dominated South Carolina in a 82-59 rout in the NCAA title game Sunday afternoon, with the Huskies showcasing their depth and talent in their big three of Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong.
There was a time when Bueckers and Fudd were both injured (Bueckers tore her ACL once in 2022, Fudd twice in 2019 and '23) and people were worried the star duo wouldn't play together for very long on the court.
It was around that time when Auriemma questioned his own leadership and whether he had what it took to coach a squad that suffered one devastating injury after the next.
"There were so many times when I would go home and I would say, 'I don't think I'm as good a coach as I used to be. I don't think I'm as able to do what these players need in today's world. I don't know that I can do that,'" Auriemma said. "It really, really, really made me question, 'Am I still the right person to be doing this at this time in my career at a place like UConn where championships are the standard?'
"I don't know why I still do it, to be honest with you. Most people my age have enough sense not to do it."
"There were so many times when I would go home and I would say, 'I don't think I'm as good a coach as I used to be.'"
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) April 7, 2025
– Geno Auriemma, fresh off his 12th National Championship, opens up about self-doubt and shares his thoughts about a potential retirement. pic.twitter.com/AQfvOwA1lk
Auriemma is right about that—the UConn coach turned 71 last March and is the oldest coach ever to win the women's NCAA championship (beating Stanford's Tara VanDerveer, who was 67 when she won it in 2021).
One could certainly argue Auriemma has aged like fine wine, as he currently holds the title of the all-time winningest coach in college hoops with 1,250 wins to 165 losses (.883 win percentage). He's also coached an undefeated national championship squad six times.
The UConn coach shared a few ways he's been able to maintain such a consistent level of success through the years, noting that he always takes a break from the end of the season in April/May to start of the next in September.
"I just walk away. I'm done, " continued Auriemma. "Luckily I have a staff and I got a program that can do that, but I don't live it 24/7, I don't take it home with me like the way a lot of these guys do, that just wears on them day after day..
“You're grinding it out, trying to make the NCAA tournament every year, keep your job, but I'm not in that situation. If I was, I would have got out long time ago."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Geno Auriemma Had Refreshingly Honest Quote About Retirement After UConn’s Title Win.