Are Geno's coaching methods outdated?

[cwaduke]

To clarify, I am a UCONN fan and in no way am I saying losing one game is a huge deal. However, I just don't see any real motivation from the players for the most part. In previous years, if the team were in a slump and coach called a timeout, whatever he said motivated them to go back on the court and bring the game back. This year and in parts of last year the only person coming out of timeouts with that added motivation was Paige and then when she inevitably got the team back into the game, they all found the motivation simply from domination again. So in games like last night when Paige can't play, there looks like there is absolutely no motivation. Nike looked more motivated from the bench than any of the players that stepped on the court did.

I concur. The only person that I saw real passion from on the bench was Nika.

 

[donalddoowop]

Oh My Goodness... Really? You guys are acting as though Geno is clueless when in fact he has been telling us all along, without Paige's presence this team is lacking... And have been urging them to give her more help. Sure these kids all have skills, but so far none of them have proven they can step up consistantly to carry their teamates when one or two of them have an off game. It pains me to say but there is just no killer instinct in most of these kids so far, they are going through the motions like robots and expecting to win just because it is UConn..

In some ways Paige's ability to score has been bailing out this team and covering up these issues.. They all need to be more confident that they can score when their team needs a basket, with or without Paige being on the floor.

Don't get me wrong they are some coaching decisions that have left me scratching my head as well, for instance Last night with 2 minutes to go we are jacking up three's instead of going to the rim and at least trying to get fouled and or stop the clock, we basically took all the pressure of their team by settling for the 3 ball and coming up empty handed possesion after possesion. But what do I know..

I only saw the ending of the game, so I have to rewatch to see how the entire game went

Without Paige's presence the team is lacking? That is the fault of coaching. The rest of the team should still be able to function well. Tennessee lost its best player and has not lost a game. They struggle sometimes but the rest of the players have stepped up. If Geno thinks that way, why is he upset at their play? They are just accomplishing his expectations. Coach says we are not good without Paige soooo____.

 

[LCConnFan]

IMO, here's what I see. (Oh and BTW, Geno HAS changed his 'bad cop' routine, as he mentioned this a few years back. He said the students coming in today are not the same as the way they were 20 years ago, and that he's had to change his methods of motivating). This team has been looking for a leader since Dangerfield left. No one has shown that they can be that leader. (Enter) Paige! IMO, she, Paige, did not come to UCONN to BE that leader, but was thrust into that role out of necessity. She has been able to save them in games that, otherwise, would have been a loss, or as we saw last night......an embarrassment. Paige got hurt and the team now has 'ZERO' confidence in themselves and one another (for now). I cannot say 'HOW' Geno will solve this problem, but if there is a way...........HE will. This whole 'confidence' thing reminds me of the movie scene, in The Dark Knight, where The Joker meets 'The Mob'. He says to them: "These Cops and Lawyers Wouldn't Dare.......... Cross Any of You" (substitute 'These Teams Wouldn't Dare Think They Could Beat You'). "I Mean, What Happened....Your.....your _ alls Drop Off"? That's exactly what has happened here...........Temporarily! With the talented group that we have, they will snap out of this. Paige is out for now, but as Geno has said in the past, "she didn't take the name UCONN with her"! It might take a while, but Geno doesn't get paid the big bucks for nothing. Let's just sit back and enjoy the movie!

 

[Bigpetunia]

I'm reassured to learn that the original poster has thought about this insightful opinion for "quite a while now." This lends a certain credence to the brilliance of his/her thinking. How long is "quite a while?" I've noticed that Geno has led his team to thirteen (and counting) consecutive NCAA Final Fours over the last thirteen years. Has this "insight" been percolating for that long? Or is this new reality just a development that has come about early in the season of Year Fourteen, when the team, minus key players, goes on the road and throws in a rare clunker? Every posited thesis requires a certain body of evidence to support it. This is some body of evidence!! Give me a break!

 

[5sidedlarry]

So 1 game in the last 28 years convinced you?

it was more than one game when we played south carolina the same thing happened and if it wasn't for Paige the score would have been a lot different.You could see it in Genos face from the start of the game.In the paper this morning he says he can't fix what wrong with them.I think he is like lot of great coaches and players they go to long in their careers.
Nothing lasts forever

 

[HuskieDawg]

I feel bad that some people can't even allow the thought of a conversation that Geno is not perfect. Losing Paige is huge, should the whole team then go under, of course not, we have some of the highest rated talent in the country and experienced talent at that. I think the OP's comments are fair and open to discussion.

Evolve or die, right? I mean the game has changed, the players have changed, the way the game is officiated has changed. Everything changes, thats the one constant. Coaches need to evolve too. It wasn't too long ago that there was criticism about the recruiting and not having enough depth or letting the talent get a little top heavy. All fair. Over the past couple of years recruiting has been great and the team is as deep as it has ever been.

It is completely fair after a poor performance like last night that Geno should look in the mirror, as should his staff, and ask what happened and why it happened. He is responsible for last night as much as the players. He can't simply be thinking or waiting for Paige to come back to cure all the teams problems. I mean what a burden on her that would be.

For someone who mentioned the past 28 years of success. Past success and current progress can be different things. Geno will go down as the greatest women's basketball coach of all time, if not one of the greatest coaches of all time regardless of sport or gender. Lets keep in mind the last time we won a natty was 2016. About 6 years ago, it's not like we won two years ago, we are getting further and further removed from that. And thats ok, its hard to win. The last time we made it to a finals was 6 years ago as well.

I would think its a good bet when we see the team come out next they will perform much better than they did last night, am sure we all hope they do, but challenging the way things are done is a great way to always ensure things get better.

 

[TCC Kid]

This is something I have thought about for quite a while now. One of the main things that Geno and former players have admitted is that his coaching strategies (being hard on players to get the best out of them) is one of the things that has made UCONN alum so successful when going pro. However over time, the way that players have been raised when they're younger is different, players are a lot 'softer' now and most people can't handle that kind of coaching method.

Simon Sinek did a great talk about it that you can find on YouTube if you search 'Simon Sinek millennials' (it's about 15-16 minutes long), now although that talk was about CEO's of companies not knowing how to treat young employees, I feel the message is very similar. The way that this generation has been raised is very different to previous generations, so throwing them into a completely new environment with a coach that is hard on them just is not going to work for most kids. Although Geno has proved himself to be one of best coaches to ever coach women's basketball, I can't help but feel like over time, the way that kids need to be coached has evolved but Geno's coaching style has not.

I won't say you are wrong, every opinion is an opinion and your words are probably better than mine.
BUT, SOFT?? Every generation since the world began were called SOFT by the previous generation. I knew the GREATEST GENERATION of WW2. Prior to that war they were called LAZY, gum chewing, jitter bugging lazy kids. My Brother quit HS to join the CCC for the louzy 25 per month, yet he was among that LAZY generation.
American kids, Soldiers or Basketball player rise to meet the occasion. The one thing I learned in teaching and raising girls: They will only do that which is DEMANDED of them. Teacher, Parent or Coach the buck stop with them.

 

[HopJim]

I come out of the Bill Belichick school of always wanting to change your tactics to match both the competition and the talent on your team before and during games. Are Geno's coaching methods outdated? Based on multiple Final Fours and several great recruiting classes, I would vote "no" at a high level. Are his tactics always aligned with his talent and competition? Although fair to say no coach always has the perfect approach for every game, Geno has run the same offense and defense for many years. He was much more flexible and able to change strategies within games early in his career. Should not be a surprise that competition understands what they need to do to compete with Huskies and that sometimes they are successful.

 

[tower1]

This is something I have thought about for quite a while now. One of the main things that Geno and former players have admitted is that his coaching strategies (being hard on players to get the best out of them) is one of the things that has made UCONN alum so successful when going pro. However over time, the way that players have been raised when they're younger is different, players are a lot 'softer' now and most people can't handle that kind of coaching method.

Simon Sinek did a great talk about it that you can find on YouTube if you search 'Simon Sinek millennials' (it's about 15-16 minutes long), now although that talk was about CEO's of companies not knowing how to treat young employees, I feel the message is very similar. The way that this generation has been raised is very different to previous generations, so throwing them into a completely new environment with a coach that is hard on them just is not going to work for most kids. Although Geno has proved himself to be one of best coaches to ever coach women's basketball, I can't help but feel like over time, the way that kids need to be coached has evolved but Geno's coaching style has not.

Good article and yes Geno's ways of coaching are outdated and he has not changed with the new way this generation thinks. These new recruits want to be treated with respect. We also need some tough players. We need players with an attitude that will not take no garbage and fight back. We have some very good players but we lack a couple of good defensive tough players.

 

[5sidedlarry]

I think there is some truth to this, but it doesn't explain GA Tech. Geno has been forthright about how it's harder to coach today's players. Yet, most of his recruits say they choose UConn because he'll push them to be their best. I love Nika Muhl's attitude, but I'm not sure all the players on the team match her intensity or effort. I also think Azzi would have made a big difference. If UConn hit a few consecutive threes, it may have turned the team and game around, especially at the start of the 4th Q.

i think everybody is forgetting one thing Ga Tech only scored 57 points how far will u get scoring that low

 

[JellyBean]

I think some fans need to go watch that video from Nic Saban about "self-absorbed" fans. Coach Geno's coaching methods are not outdated. If that was the case, he would not be able to recruit and land some of the best basketball talent. Some of us, as fans, we got to pump the brakes a little bit. We lost two games. We will be okay. We have the best coach and coaching staff in the land, and we have a very talented roster, and those ladies are giving it their best effort out there. One of the things many coaches and former players say about Coach Auriemma is 1). His ability to read people. 2). He is one of the most innovative coaches in basketball. 3). He is a great coach and knows how to develop his players. Those comments are within the last 3-4 years!

 

[jumpstart]

I think that the talent is closer than most want to admit. These girls (in general) are rated but the ratings can be very misleading and in some cases wrong. The difference between the 5 star and 4 star players doesn't seem to be a huge gap anymore and the "role player" position has become more of a factor in a total team effort. I said last year that without 30 from Paige that the South Carolina game would have been totally different. If you are waiting on Paige to score, then maybe you are not now a part of a team offence as much as just watching one player do her thing. That can come back to hurt you in the long run. Paige is a generational talent that is being left out to dry by the surrounding players. It has come home to bite them now. I feel someone will step forward but it really needs to be the entire team that needs to step forward....just my opinion and I am no expert by a long shot !

 

[Mirmir]

Last evening was NOT one of Geno's finest moments as a "COACH" at UCONN. In fact, it may well have been Geno's WORST moment as a Coach, both ON and OFF the court. Not only was his managemetn of his players on the court considered to be poor (and yes, the players need to execute, BUT Geno is responsible to prepare them best to be able to properly execute on the court, when called upon, and Geno, in my opinion, gets an "F" for that (that what he gets for playing his starters too long in games, as the bench doesn't get enough PT to help them out whenever they might be called upon to help. And NO ONE CARES that he say's Paige is a Pain in the Ass and doesn't want to come off the court, no matter what the score may be. "WHOSE THE COACH? GENO or PAIGE ??" - Then there is Geno's handling of the PRESS before and after the game. He needs to step up and tell the press and media that the team is going to put tonight's performance behind them, and they all have a positive outlook that "THE TEAM" will be more than capable of overcoming any loss of players and will execute plays on the court, to the best of everyone's ability and that HE and his coaching staff will be there 200% to ensure that each and every player get everything they need to properly execute when called upon, on the court AND that this team, NO MATTER WHO IS OUT ON THE COURT, is more than capable of capturing a National Championship. This team does NOT run through PAIGE BUECKERS. It runs thru GENO AURIEMMA and the Coaches and that this is a TEAM game, comprised of a great deal of Top 25 High School Selections. Every part should be easily inter-changable, and to say that they were down 5 players (6 if you want to count Saylor Poffenbarger transferring out), is just a LAME EXECUSE. Sorry folks, but GENO AURIEMMA IS "NOT" GOD !!!!

 

[phil sampieri]

To clarify, I am a UCONN fan and in no way am I saying losing one game is a huge deal. However, I just don't see any real motivation from the players for the most part. In previous years, if the team were in a slump and coach called a timeout, whatever he said motivated them to go back on the court and bring the game back. This year and in parts of last year the only person coming out of timeouts with that added motivation was Paige and then when she inevitably got the team back into the game, they all found the motivation simply from domination again. So in games like last night when Paige can't play, there looks like there is absolutely no motivation. Nike looked more motivated from the bench than any of the players that stepped on the court did.

Ok the sum of what I have read is that Geno is at fault for being too harsh and therefor they don’t produce. He has produced the greatest wnba players of any college so we must assume by my take, that these young people are spoiled and can’t take critisism.Yes todays kids are spoiled and it’s not their fault. The parents of that a boy, girl, you missed 20 shots in a row but it’s not your fault. Here is your participation trophy.Every kid on this team should be devestated , not just for losing but for letting themselves and their coaches down.Lastly remember the kids he had who had superstar abilities but never achieved that stardom cause they couldn’t take critisism, no names but you know who they were.

 

[Rings R Us]

This is reminding me of the last year Muffet coached at Notre Dame. Looking completed defeated on the bench and press conferences including her being on the verge of tears as well.

If you look that defeated on the bench or at press conferences, how do you think the players will feel? Muffet knew that she couldn't continue coaching that way or she'd have a breakdown and players would tune her out.

Geno needs to uplift this group with some kind of positivity knowing they are already down with all these injuries and I'm sure Geno is very aware of that. He sounds like he is admitting he can't provide that right now. Hopefully that turns around, otherwise we need a new voice to lead these young women.

 

[meyers7]

And the vampires are coming out of the woodwork. We must have lost a game.

I wouldn't call them vampires. Vampires are usually educated, intelligent beings.

 

[Longtime fan]

So 1 game in the last 28 years convinced you?

Yes. I was bummed. You can tell. Better today.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Let’s be clear… if Paige was playing UConn would have won. No excuses, play with the hand you’re dealt but there’s definitely an asterisk next to this L.
I said it, and will take the heat

 

[DaddyChoc]

Nah it's the kids. Geno will say in public that "he's got to find a way" or something something, but Geno's methods seemed to work fine on recent grads KLS, Napheesa, Crystal, and even Kyla, the last group of recruits that seemed to get it no matter their talent level. Geno's methods still work, but you need a specific type of person, and I think that has always been the case.

Many of those specific players are going elsewhere… due to weather, social media, wanting to “be themselves” etc. it’s been 5 yrs since UConn has won a title… yeah yeah yeah Final Fours, buzzer beaters, #1 recruits but it’s definitely what have you done lately.
Danger didn’t get a title and Williams and Ono looks like they’re heading in the same direction. It’s still early, with Fudd and Paige eventually coming back UConn chances are still great.

 

[bigborgesfan]

Ah yes, the man who coached a roster with 6 freshmen to a Final Four last year is suddenly outdated. I think you're forgetting that just about every UConn team for the past decade has gotten better throughout the course of the season. Remember how bad the defense was early in the year last season?

Does this team currently have a lot of flaws? Yes. Will they be a lot better come March? Yes. To suggest Geno's coaching is no longer effective after one game is laughable.

 

[Rb335]

I don’t know about if they are outdated, but for the past few years his offensive system has left little to be desired. Transition has always been the bread and butter of this program. When we’ve played talented teams, we struggle to score when they get back on defense. I think he’s got to take a hard look at the offense we run because it really doesn’t generate many open looks. It was Paige’s bb IQ creating shots for both herself and others off of good reads. Even though Georgia tech isn’t anything close to an offensive juggernaut, if you watch, they worked the ball, screened for each other, and created open looks. Compare to Uconn, who stood around, passed around the top of the key, and then settled for contested jump shots. Sometimes when you’re struggling to score, you need to run a set designed to get you a specific look.

 

[Performance]

OMG!!! I am amazed how quickly SPOILED UCONN FANS have come out with daggers after ONE LOSS. WE have a group of talented YOUNG women and the GREATEST BB Coach EVER and you bail on them. Shame on the spoiled fans who I will assure you have a LOT less knowledge about the game than both our women and GENO.

THANK YOU!! I couldn't have said it better

 

[Cuango]

Has anyone considered that perhaps losing Shea may have been a greater loss than most of us thought a the time? Shea is a tough, “take no prisoners” kind of person and toughness is one of the really big things missing with this team.

Although last night was simply devastating to watch, I’m not ready to throw in the towel yet. Hopefully, this team can get through what looks to be a major case of Paige withdrawal pangs and develop some kind of coherent offensive system that will at least look like they have played together before.

In my distant past, I played pool for a living. Never a top player but played well enough (in a good economy) to be able to survive and a little more. Unless you are among the very best, the secret to making money while betting on your own skill is to match up well. Don’t step “out of your class”! Nevertheless, l occasionally found myself playing someone (sometimes on short money) who was simply better than me. Occasionally I would rise to the occasion and somehow find a way to win by simply performing well in the most pressure packed moments. What a great feeling that was! I still remember and treasure those moments.

However, sometimes, it would go the other way and I would completely fall apart! I would feel so much pressure that I couldn’t even think straight! I would make mistakes that even a beginning player would avoid. Whenever I would get into this panicked mentality nothing I did seemed to stop it from happening. Those memories (needless to say) are locked away in my hall of shame and still bother me to this day! It is truly a horrible feeling! It’s one thing to try your best and simply be beat by a superior opponent, but when you feel like you beat yourself and never even gave yourself a chance, that is truly a low moment and stays with you for a long time.

That is what I saw from this team last night. Everyone seemed to be panicked and in a hurry! They seemed to be unable to slow down and draw upon any of their experience and it just kept spiraling out of control!

Anyway, my long winded point is; these kids must be about as low as they have felt in their entire career. As bad as I feel as a fan over losing, I really feel bad for these kids! I hope they can put this behind them and use this awful feeling to fuel a determination to never feel this way again!

Finally, I have to commend Liv as perhaps the only player who seemed to be relatively unaffected by the mass panic attack that dominated the team last night.

 

[Performance]

Last evening was NOT one of Geno's finest moments as a "COACH" at UCONN. In fact, it may well have been Geno's WORST moment as a Coach, both ON and OFF the court. Not only was his managemetn of his players on the court considered to be poor (and yes, the players need to execute, BUT Geno is responsible to prepare them best to be able to properly execute on the court, when called upon, and Geno, in my opinion, gets an "F" for that (that what he gets for playing his starters too long in games, as the bench doesn't get enough PT to help them out whenever they might be called upon to help. And NO ONE CARES that he say's Paige is a Pain in the Ass and doesn't want to come off the court, no matter what the score may be. "WHOSE THE COACH? GENO or PAIGE ??" - Then there is Geno's handling of the PRESS before and after the game. He needs to step up and tell the press and media that the team is going to put tonight's performance behind them, and they all have a positive outlook that "THE TEAM" will be more than capable of overcoming any loss of players and will execute plays on the court, to the best of everyone's ability and that HE and his coaching staff will be there 200% to ensure that each and every player get everything they need to properly execute when called upon, on the court AND that this team, NO MATTER WHO IS OUT ON THE COURT, is more than capable of capturing a National Championship. This team does NOT run through PAIGE BUECKERS. It runs thru GENO AURIEMMA and the Coaches and that this is a TEAM game, comprised of a great deal of Top 25 High School Selections. Every part should be easily inter-changable, and to say that they were down 5 players (6 if you want to count Saylor Poffenbarger transferring out), is just a LAME EXECUSE. Sorry folks, but GENO AURIEMMA IS "NOT" GOD !!!!

And neither are you I'm assuming

 

[BostonBay]

I've criticized Geno's offensive "scheme" for the past 5 years or so. IMO, the scheme is outdated and doesnt work with today's players. Superstar players like Paige & Stewart have "masked" some of the problems with the scheme, but now we are seeing its weaknesses.

Geno has always loved the finesse game (a-la Wooden), lots of passing, a systems approach, etc. But, fundamentally, it requires lots of coordinated passing & movement on the perimeter, constant cutting/screens, and the ball-handler having to "react" to what the defense is doing. It's hard! It requires fast players, high coordination, and fast decision-making - something the current players (outside of Paige) dont have. At the same time, defenses have also been getting better, faster & bigger - know what UConn is doing on offense. And, we can see that play out today. Everyone on the team (outside of Paige) looks confused. So, what ends up happening is the clock winds down and your left with an iso play - which usually means throwing up a 3-pointer or ill-advised shot or a turnover.

Another problem with this approach is your post players are also pulled out, forcing more of a perimeter game & less rebounding efficiency. I mean, why in the world do you want AE, Dorka and ONO playing on the perimeter & throwing up 3-pointers or perimeter shots?!?

Geno needs to "dumb it down" and have many more set plays. Keep your bigs down on the blocks, and play more inside-outside, rather than side-to-side perimeter. This will play to the players' current strengths, reduce anxiety since players know their roles, and have more consistency. Look at how GT played offense last night. We need to be doing more of that.

But, Geno is very stubborn, and from his comments last night, he expects players to adjust to his scheme versus making changes to how the offense is run. This will not end well.