Auriemma has redefined the meaning of success in women's college basketball in his 22 years as head coach of the University of Connecticut.
During his illustrious tenure, Auriemma has transformed the UConn program into the standard that all others are measured, both on and off the court.
Under his guidance, the Huskies have been transformed from a program with only one winning record to its credit to its current state, which includes five national championships, eight Final Fours and 28 BIG EAST titles, since Auriemma’s arrival in 1985.
On the court, his success includes five national championships and complete dominance in the BIG EAST Conference. Off the court, success means a flawless graduation rate and one of the most beloved sports teams in the country.
This unmatched success, which is the standard for collegiate programs nationally, was recognized with Auriemma’s induction into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield, Mass.) and the Women Basketball Hall of Fame (Knoxville, Tenn.) in 2006.
He is the first coach in women's basketball history to guide a team to five consecutive Final Four appearances. Auriemma is a five-time national coach-of-the-year and has been named the BIG EAST coach-of-the-year six times.
His 22-year overall record stands at 621-120 (.838), one of the best winning percentages among active Division I coaches and he was the fastest coach overall to eclipse the 600-win mark - taking just 716 games to reach the milestone, which he obtained in 2006-07.
The Huskies’ consistency has been remarkable as the program has won either the BIG EAST Regular Season or Tournament title in each of the past 14 seasons and 17 of the past 19 overall.
The Huskies have won the BIG EAST Tournament crown in two of the past three seasons and extended their streak of consecutive NCAA Regional appearances to 14 seasons with its Elite Eight berth in 2007. Auriemma also guided UConn to its 12th 30-win season in 2006-07 and its 12th in the past 14 seasons.
The 2003-04 season was a historical one - even for the tradition-rich Connecticut program - as it became only the second program in NCAA history to win three consecutive national titles. The Huskies tied the NCAA-record for consecutive home court wins at 69 straight games and won the BIG EAST Regular Season Title for the 11th consecutive season.
UConn captured the program's first national title in 1994-95, when Auriemma led the Huskies to a perfect 35-0 record. UConn was only the second team in Division I women's basketball history to go undefeated en route to the national championship.
The Huskies became the first unbeaten team in NCAA history (all divisions, men or women) to win 35 games in a season.
After inheriting a Husky program that had just one winning season in its 11-year history, Auriemma has posted 20 winning seasons since arriving at UConn in August of 1985. The Huskies also now hold every BIG EAST single-game and single-season home court attendance record.
The development of national caliber student-athletes has been Auriemma's forte during his UConn coaching tenure. Every recruited freshman that has played for Auriemma at Connecticut and completed her eligibility at UConn has obtained her undergraduate degree.
Auriemma has coached 10 First Team Kodak All-Americans, with the most recent selections of Sue Bird, Swin Cash and Diana Taurasi. This includes 11 consecutive seasons (1993-2004) where at least one UConn player earned Kodak All-America honors - a total of 18 honors, with Taurasi earning her third selection in 2004.
Prior to taking the UConn position, Auriemma served as the primary assistant women's coach at the University of Virginia from 1981-85. Before his Virginia position, Auriemma was assistant women's basketball coach at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. He also coached boys' basketball at his high school alma mater, Bishop Kenrick High School in Norristown, Pa., from 1979-81.
Auriemma has found success even beyond the college coaching ranks due to his involvement with USA Basketball. In the summer of 2000, Auriemma represented the United States at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, as an assistant coach of the gold medal winning Olympic Team.
In the summer of 2002, Auriemma was selected as a member of the inaugural induction class to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.
An accomplished speaker, Auriemma also is involved in numerous regional and state charitable and educational efforts. For nine years, Auriemma was the chair of the Y-ME Connecticut Breast Cancer Organization’s Golf Tournament and each October co-chairs Y-ME’s “Pink Ribbon Campaign”. Auriemma also has served as the State of Connecticut honorary chair for the American Heart Association.
Auriemma is a 1981 graduate of West Chester with a B.A. in political science. He resides in Manchester, Conn., with Kathy and their three children: Jenna , Alyssa and Michael.
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