Hell of an interview

[intlzncster]

The boneyard gets some press in an opinion piece on the interview:

http://espn.go.com/espnw/athletes-life/article/13789591/geno-earned-right-geno

 

[PhillyCoach]

Did I miss something in the podcast or some other recent interview? Did Geno say he was transcendent? Greater than? From what I know Geno freely admits Wooden is above and special and always fends off comparisons. In championship games( think 2002 or so)--He said, "I got Diana and you don't." He did not say I got me and you don't. Geno also gives CD tons of credit (which she richly deserves.)

Next, most posters accept the bad language in the podcast, however, there is a % that is swayed by too much PC BS? OH, I am shocked that there is gambling at Rick's place in Casablanca. I am offended that there is drinking at most bars. My goodness--there is bad language on a podcast (not Sesame St.) OK - polite people in mixed company would not say g.d. idiots. One can't talk the truth about the fans, can one. How about clueless? Uninformed? Misinformed? Didn't someone just admit that they posted a comment and DID NOT EVEN listen to the podcast? On the streets of Philly or Norristown some would call that person a gd idiot. Let's be nice here---uninformed poster who mis-spoke, but is entitled to his opinion.

Last point - - Some people (players) can be easily motivated. Some players need more positive motivation. Some players respond to negative motivation. Geno knows his type of recruit and his players. Most of the players, especially the top players, respond to Geno's negative motivation--ala sarcasm. That is his style. Outsiders, lay people, non-coaches, yes--even some fans--don't fully understand the psychology of the style. They see mean, arrogant, ass, --pick your description. Those people (fans?) don't get it and misinterpret. Geno has developed a thicker skin and for the most part he disregards the comments. Everyone does have a limit though.

Quick real life situation - I coached in a championship soccer game with Philly kids and in the pre-game speech I told them that the other team wanted to kick their butt, roll them, and make them look bad. The Philly kids got fired up and said, "Oh yea #*#!!X" and we won the game 1-0. A few years later we moved to a suburb of Philly and I was in a similar situation--just with suburban kids and parents. Championship game-- pre-game speech--(since it worked last time I used the "they want to kick your butt speech.") The kids were instantly besides themselves and were scared spitless. I had to instantaneously change to a positive speech and play off the original words as a joke. After 10 minutes of positive and re-assuring words we ended up winning 1-0.
Geno knows his players and he knows what works. Sometimes others don't see it the same way.!!

 

[Huskies Rule]

I would say there are #1 ranked players and then there are iconic players - and Geno has had a very good record with iconic players (and not bad with #1s either.) The distinction I am making is between a player like KML who is very good and Stewart who is 'iconic' - The Uconn list is DT, Maya, Breanna since 2000 - the others Parker, BG, EDD - not sure anyone else would qualify. They are distinctly different from the mere mortal #1s from other years who really are not that different from others at the top of the rankings in their year.
So ... yes I would agree - but it isn't just those players but the way in which they are developed at Uconn that makes the biggest difference and is one reason for the continued success in recruiting the following iconic players. Add in the team building that the coaches achieve in getting the right 'other' players, and the success in developing the 'other' players whether ranked #1 or #40 and you have the formula for success. And then run them hard and never allow them to settle for less than total effort and you have the amazing consistency that is Uconn WCBB.

Perfectly expressed. I can't say with any degree of certainty, but from what I have seen, read and heard of his practices, it's difficult to imagine any other coach who pushes harder, is so relentlessly demanding and gets all over his star (iconic) players to the extent Geno does. He motivates and develops greatness his way (like Frank crooned). There surely were many times I'd bet Stewie, and definitely Diana, must have wanted to stop the yelling and the putdowns and punch coach. But they knew Geno could do for them something no other coach could. When Geno coached his son Michael in AAU, he told how desperately he wanted to succeed just to shut his father up and make him stop. Or as Sue Bird said (paraphrased) about his methods and non-stop pursuit of perfection (on the GA Project): 'Can he be a jerk? Sure! But he always knows what he's doing.' Geno is one helluva rough and tough coach, and when asked how his players managed his hard-edge manner, he dismissively replied that he "doesn't need any 19 year old friends."

Geno screams, criticizes and pushes impossibly hard to make his kids the very best they can be, even better than they imagine is possible. Every player. Especially the iconic players. Coach said on one GA Project that he won't allow a kid to go only as far as she thinks she is able to go, but rather he will tell her how far she can go, and she'll see how great she can become when she does. Coach loves his players and they know it, otherwise he could never get away with his very difficult style. He recognizes the potential for greatness, and history has shown that he knows better than anybody exactly how to develop it.

 

[HuskyNan]

I still like this article from 2012. It's Geno being Geno and it touches on a lot of topics raised in this thread. WARNING!! much salty language in this article, some may find it offensive.

Geno Auriemma, Mr. Women's Basketball

 

[Huskies Rule]

Great article, but oh,my...those terrible words again...my goodness, lock the doors, hide the children...

 

[calpedaler]

Great article, but oh,my...those terrible words again...my goodness, lock the doors, hide the children...

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Very good article. Shea Ralph: " I never thought I was capable of doing the things I did here." Best quote of the piece. Second best being Geno on the UConn game:


"When done right," he says, "my guys move the ball so fast other teams can't catch up. The key is to move without the ball, be unselfish. Like a choreographed dance. It's beautiful to watch. The creative movement of five people, flowing, like a musician creating rhythm with his music. In an ideal world, this is what basketball is all about, movement that can't be scouted by the opposition. It's a style with no description," a style so fluid and fast that X's and O's become irrelevant. Opposing teams can't anticipate what move will lead to another because all the movements are part of a whole, not distinct pieces, and as such, they can't be broken down, analyzed, anticipated, and defended against. "People really like watching it," Geno says, "because it's cool, but they can't describe it."

 

[VAMike23]

omg... Maya won two titles during her four years on campus, her final season... senior year, she did not win a title. I thought I'd never say this but.... The season can't start soon enough geesh

Yes but she won a title that summer with the Lynx so it counts as a title that year

 

[zakalex]

EDD could have been the first player with 4 titles. Instead, Stewie and Moriah may be.

And Tuck!

 

[meyers7]

Sometimes Geno's an ass, just like the people he criticizes. He's one of the greatest coaches ever, but he's just a coach, not some transcendent person who changes the world. Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi he is not. There are times he comes across as though he thinks he's more important than he is. In the scheme of the world, his impact on it is negligible.

True dat.

 

[ctchamps]

in fairness, though, he said "g-d stupid". Still, I agree and said earlier - stupid and unfortunate statement by the coach. Regardless of whether it's true or not, nothing good can come from calling anyone in your fan base "g-d stupid"

Taken by itself it would be stupid. But in the context of the entire discussion I got the impression he was being tongue in cheek as opposed to disrespectful. He was just laughing at how absurd human nature can be at times. Additionally it was in response to Lowe's statement that Lowe was getting bored about the nature of UConn's games and was asking if Geno was getting bored. He deflected the situation by generalizing perceptions vs. aiming straight for Lowe. The first comment directed at the question was intellectually at another level. He answered that the danger for him was not to become complacent. Boredom was not the issue.

I could listen to this interview many times and never get bored. Geno is brilliant. He has a massive knowledge base of the game. He can recall details about things decades past without hesitation. He understands human psychology better than most people. He is witty, funny, sarcastic, intellectually engaging, intellectually challenging. He does this all this while striving to elevate an understanding of the topic he is addressing.

Furthermore he has a wide scope in the way he expresses things, constantly making it interesting for the listener. Yes he loses some people who are overly literal. But for those of us who enjoy human speech he is one of the best at making us think. His controversial statements, for the most part, are intended to make us question ourselves.

The entire over the top skit about only losers know how to criticize and successful people don't do this, was directly aimed at the successful person doing it. He ruined it because Lowe missed that it was a skit aimed at "The Donald" and he ended up having to explain it.

My wife, who is a musician with perfect pitch, can hear a complex piece of music with all it's subtleties and nuances with a gestalt of how notes interplay with and against one another. I'm at the level where I can say I like the music or don't like the music. Listening to this interview I felt what my wife must feel. I was listening to a symphony with Geno being both the composer and maestro of the piece.