By Geno Auriemma sits alone at the top.
The longtime Connecticut Huskies head women’s basketball coach notched career win No. 1,217 after No. 2 UConn’s dominant 85-41 home victory against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights on Wednesday.
Auriemma surpassed the recently retired Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer for most wins as a head coach in women’s or men’s college basketball history.
Plans to celebrate Auriemma – as well as his longtime assistant, associate head coach Chris Dailey – had been in the works in preparation for this night.
Everyone who played for Auriemma and Dailey were invited back to campus to celebrate both coaches. Both are in their 40th season with the Huskies.
Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Napheesa Collier, Rebecca Lobo and Kelly Faris were some of the former greats at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut.
“Everything about Connecticut basketball is special,” Auriemma said after the game. “The crowd tonight and the fan base, our former players, just everyone here just treats it unlike any other place in the country. So to be able to have that kind of accomplishment here. You couldn’t ask for a better scenario.”
Auriemma also made sure to thank all the players he’s coached for the impact they have made on his life.
“I’ll remember them when they are 17 and the look in their eyes of ‘Coach, can you help me do this?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know – I think I can but we’ll see.’ And now we look back 40 years later and I would say I don’t know how much I helped them get what they wanted, but they helped me get everything I wanted.”
Connecticut governor Ned Lamont unveiled a road sign which said, “Welcome to Connecticut: Home of the Winningest Coach in Basketball History,” as the crowd on hand chanted “Geno! Geno!”
The gifts didn’t stop there for Auriemma and Dailey.
UConn players Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Caroline Ducharme gave the coach a framed Huskies jersey with the number 1,217 while wearing shirts with Auriemma’s face on it.
Nike presented Auriemma and Dailey a custom ladder to commemorate the 11 times the duo has cut down the nets following all the national championship wins.
The 65-year-old Dailey thanked her family, friends, and the student section for all their support over the years.
She also thanked players – current and past – for being the “reason” why she is in coaching.
“You are certainly the reason why I stayed in coaching,” an emotional Daily said. “Some of you might be the reason I get out of coaching. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to have you here. … I need you to know that you mean more to me and have taught me more than I could have taught you.”
Many players spoke at the postgame celebration to express gratitude to their former coach including 42-year-old Taurasi, who is considered one of the greatest women basketball players ever.
“Banners, Hall of Famers, MVP’s, champions, player of the years – we always come back because of you coach,” Taurasi said to an exuberant crowd. “We come back because of you and don’t you ever forget that. We love you.”
Auriemma was later inducted into the international order of old goats with the help of no other than a live goat.
Auriemma has led UConn to 11 NCAA Championships, the most NCAA tournament championships of any head basketball coach. He has guided the Huskies to six perfect seasons since his start in 1985.
The 70-year-old is the only head coach to win at least 1,200 games at one school.
Former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski holds the men’s basketball wins record with 1,202 victories.
After the Huskies win, VanDerveer congratulated Auriemma, calling it “yet another outstanding milestone in a career filled with them.”
“The level of success he has maintained at UConn over four decades will never be duplicated,” VanDerveer said in a statement. “But his tremendous legacy extends far beyond any number of wins. It lives in the lives of the countless young women he has positively influenced throughout his career. Congratulations to Geno and Chris on this incredible accomplishment.”
Wednesday’s win helped the Huskies improve to 4-0 on the season. UConn were led by Bueckers and forward Sarah Strong.
Bueckers. the star senior guard, finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists while the freshman Strong added a game-high 20 points.
Fudd, who made her season debut after a knee injury kept her out for more than a year, scored four points in 13 minutes.
The Huskies are next scheduled to play on November 25 against Oregon State at the Baha Mar Convention Center in the Bahamas.
This story has been updated with additional information.
