Genos Greatest Accomplishment

[Tonyc]

Being able to build UConn better every year. Yeah some consider this a down year for UConn but look what theyve already accomplished. Looking at UConns roster thanks to all the posts in the Collier thread. It looks like another All Star Team. Looks unbeatable. Will opponents not want to play UConn all over again? To continue to get better then you were the last time is very difficult. Geno continues to make UConn better and better almost like Beating his Best. As good as his teams have been he continues to make them better while the sport continues to gain parity. So when you list the greatest coaches of all time Geno will be on top. Undefeated and NCs are the goals and looking ahead how many more undefeated seasons and NCs that we as UConn fans take for granted while other teams just dream of one. Well it looks like another 6 years of Dreams coming True. Geno is the Walt Disney of Sports.

 

[bags27]

greatest accomplishment?

 

[UcMiami]

Tony - all it takes is five starters plus a few role players to create a championship team - I absolutely agree that Uconn is looking loaded for years to come, but there are a lot of really good players committing to other schools, some of which have very good coaching staffs - if they gel properly and get on a roll anything is possible - Uconn has proved that in the past.

I like our chances - Geno has made silk out of sows ears in the past, and he has much more to work with this year and in the future.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Geno refers to UConnland as being like Disneyland. He just got another major attraction in Charli Collier. She is what Disney would have called an E Ticket attraction.

 

[rugbymate]

Tony C...thanks for the post. Clearly Geno has created a dynasty which brings notoriety to the school and great pleasure to all of the great fans of UCONN, many of which share their thoughts on this board. However, amongst the common threads in which recruits explain their decision to attend UCONN are not just to be the best basketball player they can be but to be a better person when they leave. One at least has to consider whether the positive impact he (and his staff) have had on the lives of scores of graduates is, in fact, one of his greatest accomplishments.

 

[victor64]

With him being 62, I wonder if recruiting will get more difficult with kids knowing that he may not be there for the duration of their eligibility. I can't see him coaching when he is seventy.

 

[Tonyc]

When your doing what you love its not work. With that said I can see at some point someone else stepping in and working side by side with Geno. He may slow down by giving more responsibility to his staff but Im not sure when he will completely get out.

 

[victor64]

When your doing what you love its not work. With that said I can see at some point someone else stepping in and working side by side with Geno. He may slow down by giving more responsibility to his staff but Im not sure when he will completely get out.

I know we are getting ahead of ourselves and believe me I will enjoy every moment he is there but who might that be? Bird? Rizzoti? Taurasi? Ralph? I would think to maintain the established culture and tradition, it would have to be someone who experienced it.

 

[UcMiami]

When your doing what you love its not work. With that said I can see at some point someone else stepping in and working side by side with Geno. He may slow down by giving more responsibility to his staff but Im not sure when he will completely get out.

I know we are getting ahead of ourselves and believe me I will enjoy every moment he is there but who might that be? Bird? Rizzoti? Taurasi? Ralph? I would think to maintain the established culture and tradition, it would have to be someone who experienced it.

He has already reduced the amount of time he spends coaching practices - he has learned delegation and lets CD and the assistants do more work independently - and he finds he gets better results because he isn't overusing his authority - when he finally steps in, everyone listens.

I think it doesn't necessarily follow that you have to have played under him - someone like Melissa has been in the system long enough, or I can think of a few coaches whose minds work along the same lines as Geno's that could step in I think.

This will probably come out wrong, but one advantage that I think Geno (and other male coaches) have in WCBB is the paternal 'relationship' with their players - there is a father/daughter dynamic in families that can play out in a similar way to a coach/player dynamic and can be appealing for young women moving away from home for the first time. I think Geno and CD have run with that either consciously or subconsciously and it has been a positive for them. It is interesting to me that so few men's programs have tried to exploit the converse of that by hiring women as assistants even.

 

[DaddyChoc]

is this season going to be a Roller Coaster ride?

They've been playing like bumper cars lately (fouling)

can Geno "toss a ring" on their fingers in April of 2017?

 

[Dougie]

Being able to build UConn better every year. Yeah some consider this a down year for UConn but look what theyve already accomplished. Looking at UConns roster thanks to all the posts in the Collier thread. It looks like another All Star Team. Looks unbeatable. Will opponents not want to play UConn all over again? To continue to get better then you were the last time is very difficult. Geno continues to make UConn better and better almost like Beating his Best. As good as his teams have been he continues to make them better while the sport continues to gain parity. So when you list the greatest coaches of all time Geno will be on top. Undefeated and NCs are the goals and looking ahead how many more undefeated seasons and NCs that we as UConn fans take for granted while other teams just dream of one. Well it looks like another 6 years of Dreams coming True. Geno is the Walt Disney of Sports.

Geno's biggest accomplishment is his incredible body of work. It's how he took a virtually nonexistent program and turned it into the most successful program in college basketball history. It's in getting the respect (and envy) of every other coach in the country. It's in the care and nurturing of every young woman who joins the team. It's in his respect for the game.

And the good news? The story continues to be written.

 

[drweo]

He has already reduced the amount of time he spends coaching practices - he has learned delegation and lets CD and the assistants do more work independently - and he finds he gets better results because he isn't overusing his authority - when he finally steps in, everyone listens.

I think it doesn't necessarily follow that you have to have played under him - someone like Melissa has been in the system long enough, or I can think of a few coaches whose minds work along the same lines as Geno's that could step in I think.

This will probably come out wrong, but one advantage that I think Geno (and other male coaches) have in WCBB is the paternal 'relationship' with their players - there is a father/daughter dynamic in families that can play out in a similar way to a coach/player dynamic and can be appealing for young women moving away from home for the first time. I think Geno and CD have run with that either consciously or subconsciously and it has been a positive for them. It is interesting to me that so few men's programs have tried to exploit the converse of that by hiring women as assistants even.

I agree that the father/daughter dynamic plays a role for some recruits/players. Another factor, maybe even more powerful, is the fact that Geno has a woman Associate Head Coach whom he clearly treats as an equal, as well as two other women as assistants, whom he respects and who have significant roles in the team's development. For a young woman to see all that, in an extremely successful program, has to be a major consideration in deciding where she wants to spent four important years of her young life.

 

[cbraarj]

I could see Geno going another 8 to 10 years. He is 62 but if you didnt know you would think he is 10 yrs younger. As far as someone replacing him, Shea Ralph, she has been there for so long and seems happy in Ct. it really is a no-brainer. Im sure they will listen to Geno when it comes about and if Shea is still there. I dont see him recommending anyone else and I wouldnt be suprised if this already been discussed if not with Shea maybe with CD about Shea.

 

[tony yusef]

He has already reduced the amount of time he spends coaching practices - he has learned delegation and lets CD and the assistants do more work independently - and he finds he gets better results because he isn't overusing his authority - when he finally steps in, everyone listens.

I think it doesn't necessarily follow that you have to have played under him - someone like Melissa has been in the system long enough, or I can think of a few coaches whose minds work along the same lines as Geno's that could step in I think.

This will probably come out wrong, but one advantage that I think Geno (and other male coaches) have in WCBB is the paternal 'relationship' with their players - there is a father/daughter dynamic in families that can play out in a similar way to a coach/player dynamic and can be appealing for young women moving away from home for the first time. I think Geno and CD have run with that either consciously or subconsciously and it has been a positive for them. It is interesting to me that so few men's programs have tried to exploit the converse of that by hiring women as assistants even.

If I were a parent of a young lady who can ball at this level there are only few coaches I would "trust" to make my daughter a better player and person. Geno tops that list by a country mile. As long as Geno is on the sideline UCONN will be the power program.

 

[Gus Mahler]

If I were a parent of a young lady who can ball at this level there are only few coaches I would "trust" to make my daughter a better player and person. Geno tops that list by a country mile. As long as Geno is on the sideline UCONN will be the power program.

I agree with you. The finishing school aspects of this program are, in my view, undervalued and under recognized by the rest of the country. This is not to say that other programs don't do this also, and well, but players who enter the program as girls usually come out as confident, professional women who know how to handle themselves in public and who are A1 ambassadors of the university and the state.

 

[bags27]

I could see Geno going another 8 to 10 years. He is 62 but if you didnt know you would think he is 10 yrs younger. As far as someone replacing him, Shea Ralph, she has been there for so long and seems happy in Ct. it really is a no-brainer. Im sure they will listen to Geno when it comes about and if Shea is still there. I dont see him recommending anyone else and I wouldnt be suprised if this already been discussed if not with Shea maybe with CD about Shea.

• I agree that Geno has 8-10 more years, health permitting (no rumors, just the usual cautions).
• I think CD may stay on a year or two after Geno either as a transitionary HC or to help out the new HC, but with no expectations of a long stay after Geno.
  
• UConn knows the incredible value of this franchise and will hire outside consultants to work with the search committee to get a sense of what's best for UConn, rather than what's best for sentiment or tradition. Maybe it's Shea, maybe it's Jen (who is still venerated in Storrs), maybe it's someone like Sue Bird or maybe it's someone outside the UConn family. But it will not be a casual, "hire my assistant because she's been so loyal all these years" decisions as another school did a few years ago, with highly mixed results so far. The iron law of academic searches is that the retiring professor has no say in his/her replacement, and I think that when he decides to hang 'em up, Geno will also walk away completely.

 

[cbraarj]

• I agree that Geno has 8-10 more years, health permitting (no rumors, just the usual cautions).
• I think CD may stay on a year or two after Geno either as a transitionary HC or to help out the new HC, but with no expectations of a long stay after Geno.
  
• UConn knows the incredible value of this franchise and will hire outside consultants to work with the search committee to get a sense of what's best for UConn, rather than what's best for sentiment or tradition. Maybe it's Shea, maybe it's Jen (who is still venerated in Storrs), maybe it's someone like Sue Bird or maybe it's someone outside the UConn family. But it will not be a casual, "hire my assistant because she's been so loyal all these years" decisions as another school did a few years ago, with highly mixed results so far. The iron law of academic searches is that the retiring professor has no say in his/her replacement, and I think that when he decides to hang 'em up, Geno will also walk away completely.

I agree with the first 2 pts you made but the last one I disagree. Geno with CD and whoever is AD at that time. It could be a while before any decision. They are the 2 best consultants Uconn can have. Seeing what they both have built at Connecticut and the standards they set for the program not just every year but on a daily basis for the year. They will want the best coach possible that will keep the program as successful as it was under them. Shea is still on the staff but believe me and I think we all know it is not out of loyalty or sentiment but because she is really good at her job!

 

[tony yusef]

• I agree that Geno has 8-10 more years, health permitting (no rumors, just the usual cautions).
• I think CD may stay on a year or two after Geno either as a transitionary HC or to help out the new HC, but with no expectations of a long stay after Geno.
  
• UConn knows the incredible value of this franchise and will hire outside consultants to work with the search committee to get a sense of what's best for UConn, rather than what's best for sentiment or tradition. Maybe it's Shea, maybe it's Jen (who is still venerated in Storrs), maybe it's someone like Sue Bird or maybe it's someone outside the UConn family. But it will not be a casual, "hire my assistant because she's been so loyal all these years" decisions as another school did a few years ago, with highly mixed results so far. The iron law of academic searches is that the retiring professor has no say in his/her replacement, and I think that when he decides to hang 'em up, Geno will also walk away completely.

[/QU

I have long held the opinion that CD will go with Geno, and not a day later. If Uconn has any chance of continuing this legacy it would be best if a former UCONN great would lead the way post-Geno. I think that will be the only way to keep top recruits coming to Storrs. who knows by then? how does Head coach Diana Taurasi sound to keep the top recruits coming in.

 

[bags27]

I agree with the first 2 pts you made but the last one I disagree. Geno with CD and whoever is AD at that time. It could be a while before any decision. They are the 2 best consultants Uconn can have. Seeing what they both have built at Connecticut and the standards they set for the program not just every year but on a daily basis for the year. They will want the best coach possible that will keep the program as successful as it was under them. Shea is still on the staff but believe me and I think we all know it is not out of loyalty or sentiment but because she is really good at her job!

Sorry, cbraarj, but I disagree. The world of academia and academic sports is littered with disastrous examples of legendary authorities/coaches who've been involved with the appointment of their successors. There are too many problems with that approach to detail, but the most glaring is that once you consult (in this case) Geno about his successor: 1. the successor always worries about what Geno thinks; because 2. Geno will be tempted to stay involved, to assure that the decision he helped make is a good one. There is only one way to let the program thrive after Geno, and that's

 

[Buzzyboy]

Tony - all it takes is five starters plus a few role players to create a championship team - I absolutely agree that Uconn is looking loaded for years to come, but there are a lot of really good players committing to other schools, some of which have very good coaching staffs - if they gel properly and get on a roll anything is possible - Uconn has proved that in the past.

I like our chances - Geno has made silk out of sows ears in the past, and he has much more to work with this year and in the future.

Exactly! What he did in his first years at UConn was totally amazing. He had very little talent and yet made them into a viable team. The talent level on his first Final Four team wasn't anywhere near the talent of the top programs of that time but he had a way of getting his kids to maximize their talent and invest in the team first mentality. Geno has always done more with less but obviously in the last twenty years he's gotten more and more talented players coming to Storrs that bought into his philosophy and showed a willingness to sacrifice individual goals to invest in team goals.

 

[victor64]

I don't think Shea has any head coaching experience which might be an issue. Is gender an issue? Would they consider somebody like Walz? I don't know anything about Rizzoti reputation as a recruiter or head coach but if she has the bonafides, she would be my pick. She would be in her mid 40s by the time she gets it.

 

[j66kicker]

I agree with the first 2 pts you made but the last one I disagree. Geno with CD and whoever is AD at that time. It could be a while before any decision. They are the 2 best consultants Uconn can have. Seeing what they both have built at Connecticut and the standards they set for the program not just every year but on a daily basis for the year. They will want the best coach possible that will keep the program as successful as it was under them. Shea is still on the staff but believe me and I think we all know it is not out of loyalty or sentiment but because she is really good at her job!

If Shea wants to be a head coach she should go do that, learn to do that, see if she's any good at it. She's good at her job, but her job is not the same as a head coaching job. Until she does that she will not be qualified to take over for Geno. Jen has taken a more likely career path to a big time head coaching position.

 

[cbraarj]

Have you seen Jens last 4 or 5 years at Hartford, they werent to good. Any of the former players that are HCs dont you think Carla Berube would be first choice. Why does a coach need previous HC experience. Its a natural progression up the ladder. If people are going by what is going on at Tennessee then shame on you. 2 different programs with iconic Head Coaches. Imo Pat Summit (I am a fan of hers) had a say in what the coaches did to the extent too where anything they did had to be cleared by her. The only one who had freedom was Mickie DeMoss. Where as with Geno he has people that he trust and knows the system where all 3 are extensions of him. Two examples of hiring asst. coaches at Uconn Kevin Ollie NC in 2nd year and Bob Diaco who was a good def. cor. for Notre Dame but should be fired as Uconn HC. Him just wasting that QB redshirt season was the dumbest move by a HC since they went Div.1. One more thing about Pat Summit, she was hired at 22 or 23 yrs old and she did pretty well.

 

[BroadwayVa]

With him being 62, I wonder if recruiting will get more difficult with kids knowing that he may not be there for the duration of their eligibility. I can't see him coaching when he is seventy.

Victor---it isn't whether you can see Geno coaching at age 70--it is ---can Geno see that. As he gets closer he'll realize the body isn't much different (to him) than at 65--if it's fun with great kids--WHY NOT??
At 25 you wonder if those old 50's will be around next year. At 50 you wonder about those who are 70. At 70--you wonder about those who are 90 if they shall be around and capable. When you reach one plateau you realize the body may slowed down--but the brain still thinks you are 18--stupid brain??? Even at 70, 80----

 

[BroadwayVa]

Have you seen Jens last 4 or 5 years at Hartford, they werent to good. Any of the former players that are HCs dont you think Carla Berube would be first choice. Why does a coach need previous HC experience. Its a natural progression up the ladder. If people are going by what is going on at Tennessee then shame on you. 2 different programs with iconic Head Coaches. Imo Pat Summit (I am a fan of hers) had a say in what the coaches did to the extent too where anything they did had to be cleared by her. The only one who had freedom was Mickie DeMoss. Where as with Geno he has people that he trust and knows the system where all 3 are extensions of him. Two examples of hiring asst. coaches at Uconn Kevin Ollie NC in 2nd year and Bob Diaco who was a good def. cor. for Notre Dame but should be fired as Uconn HC. Him just wasting that QB redshirt season was the dumbest move by a HC since they went Div.1. One more thing about Pat Summit, she was hired at 22 or 23 yrs old and she did pretty well.

CBRAARJ----Just great!! Particularly---Pat Summitt HC at 22/23. It just proves AGE isn't the ONLY factor, nor is EXPERIENCE--some have it immediately. Others need time to develop. Holly was hatched many many years ago --and sat along side of Pat for years--you'd say she was Experienced. To allow assistants freedom--trust must be forth coming. Geno obtained Trust quickly with Christine, knew Shea as a kid player, so the trust of those two comes from a building process.
CB--I like this posting.
Only my un-proven opinion---I think Shea would be a chip off of Geno's old block and could be an top level HC--like Pat Immediately.
Of Course it all depends on initial players and level of incoming recruits--you don't make Filet Mignon from goats milk.