Geno Auriemma Notes Impact of Anger on Players in UConn Coach Chat With Dan Hurley

[VAUConnFan]

MSN

 

[HuskyNan]

You can listen to the chat at UConn+ Scroll down to Legendary Basketball

 

[Centerstream]

You can listen to the chat at UConn+ Scroll down to Legendary Basketball

There's a video on the UConn Huskies YouTube channel too

 

[JoePgh]

Would someone kindly summarize Geno's comment about the impact of anger?

 

[BobbyJ]

Would someone kindly summarize Geno's comment about the impact of anger?

He claims that he's mellowed out in his old age and is now concerned with the players' feelings and how it may affect their performance. Yeah, I chuckled too.

 

[Zarathustra]

Would someone kindly summarize Geno's comment about the impact of anger?

Just click on the "MSN" printed on the first/ initial post of this
thread, see Post # 1, above. You'll find a very nice summary of
Geno's position on the impact of a coach's anger. He's using
his own recruited HUSKIE team(s) as a reference point, it may not apply
to ALL teams, and ALL non-UCONN players, but it is a clear/
straight-forward assessment of his approach HIS team.

 

[JoePgh]

Just click on the "MSN" printed on the first/ initial post of this
thread, see Post # 1, above. You'll find a very nice summary of
Geno's position on the impact of a coach's anger. He's using
his own recruited HUSKIE team(s) as a reference point, it may not apply
to ALL teams, and ALL non-UCONN players, but it is a clear/
straight-forward assessment of his approach HIS team.

OK, I'm glad you prodded me into reading this. (Maybe I could tell you were exasperated, aka angry, and that got me to respond to your coaching as you hoped and expected that I would.)

Now that I've read the article and one of Geno's quotes, I think he said something very important that I hadn't heard before from him or anyone else.

He said that at a previous point in his career (I'm thinking maybe in the Lobo / Rizzotti era), he could tell a player that she was terrible and she would react by thinking he was a jerk, and she would be determined to prove him wrong -- which is the reaction that he wanted and was counting on. But now, with 11 NC's and a Hall of Fame membership among many other honors under his belt, if he tells a player that she is terrible she will be devastated because this icon of the game has such a negative view of her basketball skills. So the player reacts by "crawling into a hole" -- the opposite of the defiant reaction that he was trying to provoke. He says it took a while for him to figure that out, and I also will bet that some recent alumnae (Napheesa? Morgan Tuck?) had to explain that to him before he understood.

The mere fact that he is an actual grandfather and is seen by his players in a quasi-grandfatherly role also influences how they would process harsh feedback from him -- far different than when he was a 30-something brash young coach with an ego.

So maybe he has gotten "softer" as he approaches the end of his career, but it is by design rather than because of an energy loss.

 

[oldude]

I’m pretty sure that Geno’s epiphany occurred following the 2017-2018 season. During that season, Geno had several public blowups which were primarily directed at a talented freshmen class headed up by Megan Walker. Ultimately 3/4 players in that class transferred (AEH, Gordon & Coombs) with Walker opting out of her senior season to turn pro. There was no immediate eligibility for transfers or NIL money, so any player who transferred had to think long and hard about leaving.

I remember seeing a noticeable change in Geno’s public comments about his players during the following season. I suspect that CD and perhaps others had made the point to Geno that you can’t treat players like that anymore or you’ll drive them all away.

 

[JoePgh]

I’m pretty sure that Geno’s epiphany occurred following the 2017-2018 season. During that season, Geno had several public blowups which were primarily directed at a talented freshmen class headed up by Megan Walker. Ultimately 3/4 players in that class transferred (AEH, Gordon & Coombs) with Walker opting out of her senior season to turn pro. There was no immediate eligibility for transfers or NIL money, so any player who transferred had to think long and hard about leaving.

I remember seeing a noticeable change in Geno’s public comments about his players during the following season. I suspect that CD and perhaps others had made the point to Geno that you can’t treat players like that anymore or you’ll drive them all away.

I am not so sure that was the reason. I think he came to see that class (with the possible exception of Megan Walker) as a recruiting misfire, and he was not sorry to see them leave. He made some comments that were surreptitiously recorded and made public saying that AEH was asked to leave, apparently because she wouldn't take direction from the coaches. Gordon never got in physical shape, but she appeared to be having a lot of fun despite her minimal playing time.

I agree that Walker probably skipped her senior year because she wasn't enjoying her time at UConn, but even in that case, I am not sure that the coaches were unhappy to see her leave.

 

[huskeynut]

As a retired educator, I totally understand what Geno is talking about.

Coaching is teaching/ educating. You are constantly looking to get each player to improve their skill level. They need to grow. You need to vary your approach to each player. And that is a very demanding task. It is not easy. It's not supposed to be. You must always be re-evaluating your approach. What works and what doesn't work. This is an everyday process.

I was a band director on the middle school and high school level for my 30+ years. 100+ students with noise makers in their hands!! Many similarities with coaching. I had to take my classroom public three or four times a year. Geno has to take his "class" public 30+ times a year.

Geno has been doing this for 40 years. Absolutely amazing.

 

[oldude]

I am not so sure that was the reason. I think he came to see that class (with the possible exception of Megan Walker) as a recruiting misfire, and he was not sorry to see them leave. He made some comments that were surreptitiously recorded and made public saying that AEH was asked to leave, apparently because she wouldn't take direction from the coaches. Gordon never got in physical shape, but she appeared to be having a lot of fun despite her minimal playing time.

I agree that Walker probably skipped her senior year because she wasn't enjoying her time at UConn, but even in that case, I am not sure that the coaches were unhappy to see her leave.

Recruiting misfire or not, Geno made a number of biting comments during pressers critical of that class. I did see the surreptitiously recorded comments made by a BYer, and they were pretty awful. But Geno’s public angst about that class was on full display throughout the 2017-18 season.

As I indicated, once the 2018-19 season rolled around, Geno was extremely reticent to publicly criticize any of his players, beyond a gentle ribbing, and he has been that way ever since. Evidently, you can teach old Huskies new tricks.