Geno picks up a big tab

[HuskyNan]

Charli Turner Thorne, the WBCA president, helped get the project [to train coaches] off the ground. She attended the first session in late May and was proud of the initiative. The program provides an open forum for coaches to evaluate themselves.

"The idea behind it was we wanted to make sure there's credentialing in coaching," Turner Thorne said. "In most industries you have to do some sort of ethical certification."

The WBCA leadership met in August and hopes to finalize this week having two more sessions next summer. Last year when they were $150,000 short, Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma picked up the tab knowing how important it was to get this initiative off the ground.

Women's basketball coaches attend training program

 

[Olde Coach]

Charli Turner Thorne, the WBCA president, helped get the project [to train coaches] off the ground. She attended the first session in late May and was proud of the initiative. The program provides an open forum for coaches to evaluate themselves.

"The idea behind it was we wanted to make sure there's credentialing in coaching," Turner Thorne said. "In most industries you have to do some sort of ethical certification."

The WBCA leadership met in August and hopes to finalize this week having two more sessions next summer. Last year when they were $150,000 short, Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma picked up the tab knowing how important it was to get this initiative off the ground.

Women's basketball coaches attend training program

How many other college coaches would pick up that tab? Or one similar?

You can certainly count them on one hand -- and probably on one thumb.

Geno is a gem!

 

[EricLA]

How many other college coaches would pick up that tab? Or one similar?

You can certainly count them on one hand -- and probably on one thumb.

Geno is a gem!

couldn't agree more. i could see a $5,000 tab, but $150,000? good grief that's impressive.

 

[Ctpaul0825]

He's first class

 

[alexrgct]

This is the second time I've heard this anecdote. Really surprised it hasn't gotten more play. Does it not fit enough with the general narrative of the kind of man Geno is to be newsworthy?

Bottom line, no one over the past 20 years has done more to advance women's basketball than Geno, whether it's setting a high bar for training/practice/execution, Team USA involvement (including recruiting the best player on a rival, aka B. Griner, to try out, even if that experience only means she'll be a tougher out for UConn), or stories like this, he has been a godsend to the sport. Can you imagine WBB without Geno Auriemma? I can't.

 

[MilfordHusky]

This is the second time I've heard this anecdote. Really surprised it hasn't gotten more play. Does it not fit enough with the general narrative of the kind of man Geno is to be newsworthy?

Bottom line, no one over the past 20 years has done more to advance women's basketball than Geno, whether it's setting a high bar for training/practice/execution, Team USA involvement (including recruiting the best player on a rival, aka B. Griner, to try out, even if that experience only means she'll be a tougher out for UConn), or stories like this, he has been a godsend to the sport. Can you imagine WBB without Geno Auriemma? I can't.

 

[Scotter]

How many other college coaches would pick up that tab? Or one similar?

You can certainly count them on one hand -- and probably on one thumb.

Geno is a gem!

Well you can count the women's basketball coaches that can afford to pick up that kind of tab on one hand so I'm not sure that line of reasoning is quite so impactful. College coaches have never struck me as a stingy bunch. It's a profession few enter into for the money, and I would believe most have sacrificed financially at some point for the benefit of others.

That's not to say it wasn't an impressive gesture, especially as there are other anecdotes that indicate Geno doesn't just throw money around even though he can certainly afford it.

 

[Phil]

This is really impressive, and all the more so because it is so behind the scenes.

 

[AboutWeston]

No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[semper]

I think Geno would be embarrassed if a big deal was made about this. He is one of the few that gets so well compensated, not that he doesn't deserve it. He does!!!

 

[uconnfan68]

"That's not to say it wasn't an impressive gesture, especially as there are other anecdotes that indicate Geno doesn't just throw money around even though he can certainly afford it."

Never heard that before. Only that he ALWAYS picks up the check in any group.