Women's Fastbreak On SI

Geno Auriemma Sends Sincere Message About UConn Coaching Future

UConn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma spoke about his coaching future on Monday morning.
Grant Young|
Apr 6, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma watches during the second half against the South Carolina Gamecocks of the national championship of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Apr 6, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma watches during the second half against the South Carolina Gamecocks of the national championship of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

For the 12th time in his legendary career, UConn Huskies women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma woke up this morning as a freshly-crowned NCAA champion.

12 NCAA championships and 24 Final Four appearances in 40 seasons at UConn are definitely enough to deem Auriemma one of the greatest coaches of all time, regardless of the sport. However, all this sustained success means there's nothing else left to prove, not to mention that he's 71 years old.

This, combined with him being open about admitting he likely only has a few years coaching left, has prompted speculation about when Auriemma will retire, and whether it could come after this 2025 national title.

But Auriemma addressed this in a clear way during his April 7 appearance on Good Morning America.

When Michael Strahan asked Geno what else he has left to accomplish, Auriemma said, "I don't know. I don't know, Michael. I just think that when you hang around young people on a daily basis, you really aren't getting old. Yes, your age is changing, but I don't think you're getting old. You're not losing your enthusiasm, you're still feeling the impact that you're having on people.

"So who knows when you wake up one morning and go 'That's it, I'm done.' But right now, I'm more motivated by what happened last night when Paige Bueckers walks off the court," he added.

"I didn't wake up this morning feeling any different because we have 12 [national titles] instead of 11. But I know, if [Paige] does wake up, she'll feel a lot different than she did yesterday."

While Auriemma didn't offer a clear retirement timeline, it's clear that leaving UConn or college basketball isn't on his mind at the moment.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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