#12 or not - is this Geno/CD best coaching?

[GW15MJ4MM23]

Regardless if UConn wins NCAA championship #12 this season, do you think this has been the best coaching by Geno and CD?

Covid
cancelled games
lock downs
restrictions
no seniors
freshmen starters
freshmen key reserves
only 1 loss heading into conference tournament
etc.

Not disrespecting Shea and Jamelle. They have not coached at UConn every season that Geno and CD have coached.

Edit : attempt to fix 13 to 12.

 

[Gurleyman]

It’s in the discussion. Over the years, you’d have to include the first FF team, the first NC team, the DT junior and senior years were largely attributed to DT, but required solid coaching. and I think going undefeated til the FF the year after Stewie-MoJeff-Morgan graduated and they had to totally retool was impressive. There’s also a little bit of a philosophical bias at play, the years that we simply dominated everyone, it was still good coaching to elevate a team from heavy favorites to totally untouchable. It’s easy to say that we just had to roll out the basketballs for the Sue-DT-Swin-AJ-TW, Maya-Tina-Renee, and Stewie-MJ-MT teams but the coaches still oiled those machines.

The best single-game coaching performance was the 2000 title game, I think. UConn and UT split two during the regular season, but in the third one, UConn put on a clinic, back-doored them to death and won by 25. It was glorious. But Stanford in the 1995 FF is in that discussion too. That was supposed to be a big test and it was over by halftime.

 

[bluedevil]

With all the talent coming in next year and only 200 minutes a game to offer ...if they keep everyone happy and motivated (assuming no defections entering the season)...I nominate 2021-2022 for the discussion....

 

[UcMiami]

It is hard to pick a 'best' year. One of the things that is so impressive is how consistent Uconn is - they almost never lose to unranked teams or teams outside the top 10 when they have a good team. Since the start of the 2007-08 season Uconn has lost to one unranked team St John's in 2011, and to one team outside the top 10 Arkansas this year. They have 6 undefeated seasons (the rest of WCBB has 3) and have 11 seasons with 1 or 0 losses, while the next best teams LaTech and Baylor have 2 each and there are only 6 other teams that have 1 year each. We sort of take that consistency for granted, but no other team has that consistency even when they have strong teams. And that consistency is coaching.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I wonder if anyone around remembers who the other candidates were when Geno got hired? Seems to me he was like hitting a powerball ticket.

 

[Waquoit]

Making the right decisions and pushing the right buttons seems to be SOP for Geno these days. He has the #1 team and his best players are freshmen. It's remarkable, he's underrated.

 

[oldude]

I don’t know if this is Geno’s best coaching job. He might point to his very first year as UConn’s HC. What I do know is the challenges Geno has faced this season are unlike any he has ever faced before, or will ever face again.

 

[PacoBlaze]

Making the right decisions and pushing the right buttons seems to be SOP for Geno these days. He has the #1 team and his best players are freshmen. It's remarkable, he's underrated.

Yet Geno's coaching abilities have been criticized every season and especially this season because many BYers want their favorite non starters to get more minutes, among other complaints.

 

[bballnut90]

I think 2016-17 was hands down the best coaching job I've seen in his 25+ seasons. They lost their Big 3, had no true post and came a buzzer beater from going undefeated.

 

[Vowelguy]

Nah
2003
2013
1995

 

[GRIFFBIFF20]

I strongly believe that the UCONN Women's Basketball Team's transformation into it's MODERN INCARNATION of this Historical Collegiate Women's Basketball Program, began last season (2019-2020), with Jamelle Elliot rejoining the team's coaching staff. Coach Elliott, along with Shea Ralph and Chris Dailey, in "My Opinion" are solely been responsible for the transformation of this team, the success that this team is having this year, and how truly great it will be over the next 5 to 7 years. The Coaching of "Today's Collegiate Women's Basketball Player" has, in my opinion, passed Geno Auriemma by. Geno, is essentially, just the person who "Markets" this program. The motivation, nuts and bolts coaching, and the "X-Factors" are the responsibility of CD, Shea and Jamelle. [You can see this, during game play and especially during game time outs, where CD, Jamelle and Shea are the ones talking predominately to the players, more so than Geno. You see allot of time, CD, Jamelle and Shea, talking Geno down from the ledge during games, telling him to "Calm Down"]. Sorry folks, but this is NOT "The GOAT's" team any more. It's CD, Shea and Jamelle's team, as they are the one's running the ship.

 

[huskeynut]

I thing what is amazing is that Geno, with CD by his side, built the most consistent program in women's basketball at UConn. Not to knock UConn, but it was not much of an athletic force.

Yet he was able, and continues to be able, to recruit some of the best basketball talent to come play at UConn. He became the coach who changed the face of women's basketball and put it front and center of the sports world in 1995 finals.

For me, too many teams, too many AA's and too many accomplishments to say if this season was his best coaching job or even one of his bests. 30+ seasons of being the Beast of the East is just mind blowing.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Yeah it's tough for the coaches when they only have two of the country's four #1 recruits.

 

[Carnac]

Regardless if UConn wins NCAA championship #12 this season, do you think this has been the best coaching by Geno and CD?

Covid
cancelled games
lock downs
restrictions
no seniors
freshmen starters
freshmen key reserves
only 1 loss heading into conference tournament
etc.

Not disrespecting Shea and Jamelle. They have not coached at UConn every season that Geno and CD have coached.

Edit : attempt to fix 13 to 12.

No!! not by a long shot. It was the 2010-2011 team (ranked #1, finishing 36-2/16-0) that "forced" Geno and CD to do their best coaching job. That was the year Gary Blair and Texas A&M beat ND for the NC. The roster consisted of 10 players. Doty (ACL) and Heather Buck went down early in the season with injuries. Geno was down to 5 healthy starters (Hayes, Hartley, Moore, Dolson & Faris) and 5'4" senior guard Lorin Dixon coming off the bench.

Lauren Englen and Michela Johnson were freshmen reserves. Freshman Samarie Walker left the team at the holiday break for Kentucky. Dixon was the only reserve player to see the floor that year. Englen and Johnson did not play, and both transferred after that season.

Two players would have had to get hurt, or foul out before either one of them saw the floor. UConn made it to the final four that year, losing to Notre Dame in the semis 72-63. UConn went most of the year using only 6 players. THAT!!! was the best coaching job, and the most challenging job he's done here. The starters all knew they could not get hurt, get tired, or get in foul trouble. There was no one on the bench to replace them.

Geno was voted COY that year and deservedly so. He earned his salary THAT year!! He got the most possible out of that team. None of the other 3 schools (Stanford 29-2, Texas A&M 27-5, Notre Dame 26-7) that made the final four played with only 6 players as he did. Stanford was the only other FF team to finish undefeated in conference play at 18-0.

 

[DefenseBB]

What I will say is Geno/CD have certainly modified their coaching over the past 5 years alone maybe by design or maybe by default given the 7 freshman. Either way, his easier demeanor and upbeat pressers have "lightened" the mood a bit, not that is was bad before but his donning a #33 jersey and playing in practice certainly shows he is enjoying this team. Let's been honest in that Geno and whole staff always do a good job in getting the best out of the teams they have, some click better personality-wise, some are more mature and some have sheer talent that can take over but whatever happens, where here on the BoneYard will always have our favorites will not be bashful about stating such...

 

[RedStickHusky]

I don't think you can even start the conversation w/out winning #12 and then it probably takes some considerable adversity/drama along the way that I'd just as soon see us avoid. I'm more than happy to see 'just' another great season; they' can't all be the best. That being said, I'm in utter disbelief at the compulsive need for some purported UConn 'fans' to make up reasons to discount Geno's accomplishments.
"He wouldn't win without getting all the best players?" He's said as much, but the fact is that there is no reason to think that we get any of those players without Geno. They weren't beating a path to Storrs before he got there, were they?
"He's a figurehead for a staff that does all the 'real coaching' work?" Interesting bit of fan fiction with no evidence to support it. Not discounting the fact that CD has been a part of his success for the entire journey and he is fortunate to have Jamelle and Shea, it's still Geno that put that staff together and manages to keep them together, which can't be easy.
I'm not suggesting that Geno needs to sainted or shouldn't be questioned when he does something that looks a little shaky. Geno is a button pusher (like all great coaches) and sometimes that can look harsh or cold but the results are remarkably consistent and in the context of 'program', no one has come close to sustaining the level that UConn has for the past 30 years.
Those posters here that make a repeated point of suggesting that "they know better than Geno" are just engaging in some weird form of delusional virtue signaling that is totally over my head. Reality check - You don't know better than Geno. Get over yourselves and try to enjoy a ride that no other fan base anywhere gets to enjoy..

 

[Cornell Lt]

Can't say for sure until the season ends, but if UConn makes the finals than without a doubt one of the best if not the best coaching jobs of Geno's career. 7 freshman with no seniors is never a recipe for the type of season UConn has had soo far.

 

[MD#12Fan]

No!! not by a long shot. It was the 2010-2011 team (ranked #1, finishing 36-2/16-0) that "forced" Geno and CD to do their best coaching job. That was the year Gary Blair and Texas A&M beat ND for the NC. The roster consisted of 10 players. Doty (ACL) and Heather Buck went down early in the season with injuries. Geno was down to 5 healthy starters (Hayes, Hartley, Moore, Dolson & Faris) and 5'4" senior guard Lorin Dixon coming off the bench.

Lauren Englen and Michela Johnson were freshmen reserves. Freshman Samarie Walker left the team at the holiday break for Kentucky. Dixon was the only reserve player to see the floor that year. Englen and Johnson did not play, and both transferred after that season.

Two players would have had to get hurt, or foul out before either one of them saw the floor. UConn made it to the final four that year, losing to Notre Dame in the semis 72-63. UConn went most of the year using only 6 players. THAT!!! was the best coaching job, and the most challenging job he's done here. The starters all knew they could not get hurt, get tired, or get in foul trouble. There was no one on the bench to replace them.

Geno was voted COY that year and deservedly so. He earned his salary THAT year!! He got the most possible out of that team. None of the other 3 schools (Stanford 29-2, Texas A&M 27-5, Notre Dame 26-7) that made the final four played with only 6 players as he did. Stanford was the only other FF team to finish undefeated in conference play at 18-0.

Love your assertive, passionate response. I have no choice but to honor it. I have to admit, I kind of glazed over after I came across the word "Moore".

 

[chrissaran]

D didn't do it by herself. Ann Strother, among others, contributed a great deal to those two championships.

 

[diggerfoot]

Geno, is essentially, just the person who "Markets" this program. The motivation, nuts and bolts coaching, and the "X-Factors" are the responsibility of CD, Shea and Jamelle. [You can see this, during game play and especially during game time outs, where CD, Jamelle and Shea are the ones talking predominately to the players, more so than Geno.

Hmmm. Well, in at least two interviews so far Bueckers referred to Auriemma as a genius. How could she get that impression if he were not at least involved in the “nuts and bolts coaching?” Can you provide evidence of any player referring to any of the other coaches as a “genius?” Even former opponents of recent times has praised Auriemma’s nasketball knowledge.

Recent players also have commented that they want to prove Auriemma wrong. No such comments were pointed at the other coaches, so to say he is absent the motivational equation is fiction as well, but the suggestion that Auriemma is no longer involved in the teaching aspects remains the most absurd of your charges, with nothing but your “strong belief” as evidence. But go ahead, support your argument with something players have said about knowledge or motivation applying more to the other coaches rather than Auriemma.

I also hear Auriemma’s voice coaching the team during the game more than the other coaches but, hey, that’s just my observation, with as much status as your “strong belief.” What players actually have to say carries more weight than either.

 

[cwaduke]

Not a fan of supposition and conjecture. They play beyond their experience level this year; especially with all the interruptions. This coaching staff is clearly doing something right. A great leader trusts their people do what they do best. They don't micromanage. Great coaching staff, period!

 

[oldhusky]

I suspect Geno is weary of the difficulties this season, because of covid presents, but is also very excited to have this freshmen class, that is talented, very competitive, unselfish, works hard, has character etc.

A tough season for all, but he loves this group, and that has not necessarily been true of a couple of classes.

 

[Tank]

It is hard to pick a 'best' year. One of the things that is so impressive is how consistent Uconn is - they almost never lose to unranked teams or teams outside the top 10 when they have a good team. Since the start of the 2007-08 season Uconn has lost to one unranked team St John's in 2011, and to one team outside the top 10 Arkansas this year. They have 6 undefeated seasons (the rest of WCBB has 3) and have 11 seasons with 1 or 0 losses, while the next best teams LaTech and Baylor have 2 each and there are only 6 other teams that have 1 year each. We sort of take that consistency for granted, but no other team has that consistency even when they have strong teams. And that consistency is coaching.

A lot harder for teams like Stanford, the SEC teams, or the ACC teams to have undefeated seasons.

 

[Adios]

A lot harder for teams like Stanford, the SEC teams, or the ACC teams to have undefeated seasons.

P5 schools made a mistake by not inviting us and they know.