UConn's Geno Auriemma Sets NCAA Record with 1,217th Win, Surpasses Tara VanDerveer

Nov 21, 2024, 01:44 AM

Geno Auriemma, head coach of the University of Connecticut (UConn) women's basketball team, has become the winningest coach in NCAA Division I basketball history with his 1,217th victory, surpassing Stanford's Tara VanDerveer. The historic win came as UConn defeated Fairleigh Dickinson University at Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday. Auriemma, who initially saw UConn as a stepping-stone when he joined in 1985, has now spent 40 years building the program alongside associate head coach Chris Dailey. The event was celebrated with 63 alumni in attendance, including UConn legends Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, and Maya Moore. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont honored Auriemma with a street sign recognizing his career wins record. Reflecting on his achievements, Auriemma remarked, "If somebody asked me to go do it again I would say it's impossible, right?" His tenure includes 11 NCAA titles, 23 Final Four appearances, and 28 conference regular-season titles, solidifying UConn as a standard in women's basketball.