Geno Auriemma......................pretending to be OK.

[Carnac]

Geno Auriemma judges his teams and his career against an unattainable ideal. Wright Thompson rides shotgun with the Huskies as they go for title No. 12 and discovers the coach's lone enemy: Auriemma himself.

Warning: This is a very lengthy article.

With three games to win for his 10th undefeated regular season, Geno Auriemma turns an empty $700 bottle of French wine upside down on a sterling silver coaster. He's explaining to me and his video guy how a steel mill works, specifically the one where he worked in college. He points at the neck, which represents the ground floor where he spent his days. The molten metal once set his shoes on fire. Tonight feels about as far away from burning shoes as a man can travel. He's relaxed. The Connecticut team charter landed in New Orleans two hours ago. Auriemma and Ben Kantor, the video coordinator, dropped their bags and walked to the French Quarter. It's past 10 p.m. now in Brennan's on Royal Street. Old boards creak under foot. Mack the Knife plays on the stereo. Waiters cook Steak Diane and Bananas Foster tableside. Ben and I are laughing, and Geno is laughing, because using $700 wine to break down the physics of a factory is ridiculous and hilarious and yet somehow makes sense.
[Story]

 

[Roger G]

That was a great peek into Geno's life. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Golden Husky]

Geno Auriemma judges his teams and his career against an unattainable ideal. Wright Thompson rides shotgun with the Huskies as they go for title No. 12 and discovers the coach's lone enemy: Auriemma himself.

Warning: This is a very lengthy article.

With three games to win for his 10th undefeated regular season, Geno Auriemma turns an empty $700 bottle of French wine upside down on a sterling silver coaster. He's explaining to me and his video guy how a steel mill works, specifically the one where he worked in college. He points at the neck, which represents the ground floor where he spent his days. The molten metal once set his shoes on fire. Tonight feels about as far away from burning shoes as a man can travel. He's relaxed. The Connecticut team charter landed in New Orleans two hours ago. Auriemma and Ben Kantor, the video coordinator, dropped their bags and walked to the French Quarter. It's past 10 p.m. now in Brennan's on Royal Street. Old boards creak under foot. Mack the Knife plays on the stereo. Waiters cook Steak Diane and Bananas Foster tableside. Ben and I are laughing, and Geno is laughing, because using $700 wine to break down the physics of a factory is ridiculous and hilarious and yet somehow makes sense.
[Story]

Very well-written piece, much more about the man than the coach, although, to the general public, they're probably one in the same. For me, one line haunts: "The only available emotion at the end of a year is relief." The portrait is of Geno in a cage of his own success, unfulfilled despite unmatched achievements.

I wonder if others found the piece as poignant as I did?

Thanks for posting.

 

[tomcat]

Yeah. I've been searching for a word. Poignant does it, I think.

 

[VillageHusky]

Geno Auriemma judges his teams and his career against an unattainable ideal. Wright Thompson rides shotgun with the Huskies as they go for title No. 12 and discovers the coach's lone enemy: Auriemma himself.

Warning: This is a very lengthy article.

With three games to win for his 10th undefeated regular season, Geno Auriemma turns an empty $700 bottle of French wine upside down on a sterling silver coaster. He's explaining to me and his video guy how a steel mill works, specifically the one where he worked in college. He points at the neck, which represents the ground floor where he spent his days. The molten metal once set his shoes on fire. Tonight feels about as far away from burning shoes as a man can travel. He's relaxed. The Connecticut team charter landed in New Orleans two hours ago. Auriemma and Ben Kantor, the video coordinator, dropped their bags and walked to the French Quarter. It's past 10 p.m. now in Brennan's on Royal Street. Old boards creak under foot. Mack the Knife plays on the stereo. Waiters cook Steak Diane and Bananas Foster tableside. Ben and I are laughing, and Geno is laughing, because using $700 wine to break down the physics of a factory is ridiculous and hilarious and yet somehow makes sense.
[Story]

Although the story was fairly long by the standard of a sports piece, I found it fascinating and insightful on multiple levels, not least of which is how ridiculous and exacting are the expectations that the UConn Women’s basketball program has created as its norm. The fact those expectations have been met for so many years and that the program’s graduates continue to sing its praises is a testament to the genius, will and empathy of its coach and leader. Excellence of the heights and duration attained by UConn Women’s basketball is an outgrowth of the uniqueness of Coach Auriemma’s charisma, brains and discipline. The article shows clearly that price paid for this excellence is borne not only by the players and the assistant coaches but most certainly by the coach who is the creator and the beating heart of UConn Women’s basketball. Thank you so much for posting the link to the article.

 

[MD#12Fan]

Besides Geno's retirement, the one thing that would ease the pain would be greater competition in the women's game. I feel like he almost likes the feeling now of having 4 really good teams in the final four. If any of the 4 win it all, no one would be surprised. That's how it should be. 25 more really good teams and it would be that much better. UConn has 6 really good players. Louisville, ND, and Miss St have good players in their starting 5's. The best of the rest, not as much. Ex, USC had Wilson and Jennings.
That stupid league he's in doesn't help anything.
Coach K has been able to age gracefully in the job because he's not expected to win the NC every year, just recruit well, be a top 5 team, and create an amazing atmosphere for student athletes. Win every 6-7 years.
Such competition I think would reenergize Geno.