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Hell of an interview

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easttexastrash said:
I doubt that they encouraged him to use -bomb, but maybe they did. If any other coach went on an f-bomb tirade in an interview and called their fans " stupid" they would get skewered here.
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Geno did not use an f-bomb in the interview much less go on an f-bomb tirade. He never called uconn fans " stupid." What are you talking about?
 
UcMiami said:
It wasn't so much 'encouraging' as allowing - early on Geno clearly was skating around a non-broadcastable word, and Lowe pointed out that this was a pod-cast and Geno could use any words he wanted, which he proceeded to do.
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Geno is no stranger to profanity but his use of profanity in this interview was pretty tame.
 
UcMiami said:
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.)
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I agree. As Geno said, it's also about getting the "right" players not just the best ones. He has a remarkable track record in identifying and successfully recruiting those players who are cut above the best of the best AND of fully developing their talents.
 
easttexastrash said:
I doubt that they encouraged him to use -bomb, but maybe they did. If any other coach went on an f-bomb tirade in an interview and called their fans " stupid" they would get skewered here.
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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"
 
easttexastrash said:
The number 1 player in each class is not always a program changer. Tina Charles was a program changer. Maya Moore was a program change. Breanna Setwart is a program changer. Those players are around for 4 years so even if you don't get the number 1 player the next couple of years, you have that incomparable player for fours years, which definitely gives you an advantage and makes coaching a bit easier. Geno has made a statement about the correlation between recruiting and coaching, although I can't remember the quote off the top of my head.

Once again, I point to EDD. Had she not left basketball UCONN would have won four titles during her time there and Maya would not have exited her senior year without a title. Those two together would have been unstoppable.
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You coach?
 
Orangutan said:
My only qualm about the "he gets the best players" argument is that it's a little disingenuous to use the "so we got two All-Americans what about the other 22" argument because UConn gets the #1 player in the country about half the time. There is a big difference between having the #1 player and a #20 player. On balance, UConn does have the best talent in the nation. But it's not such a huge disparity that UConn should always win.

The Stanford game is proof that, as good as his players are, they *can* get beaten by good teams if they don't execute well. All of which is to say, even with the best players, winning 3 straight NCs and losing one game in the last 2 seasons is pretty insane and why Geno is a coaching legend.
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The other funny part about that argument is that people are assuming if they had those players they would be able to achieve just as much and frankly that's not the case. I was having this conversation on Cockytalk a couple of weeks ago. If you can't do more with less (talent or otherwise) you certainly can't do more with more. Put some of those number 1 players under the tutelage of another coach and they would still be very good but they would not be great. In fact you could argue it is harder to coach better talent simply because they think they already know everything. Have you ever tried to tell something to a know-it-all? Coaches who like to pretend their coaching record has anything to do with anything less than their effort, the effort of their players, and the coaching staff lack self reflection and will therefor always be two steps forward 99 steps back.
 
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ericsandiego said:
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"
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Thanks, Eric. I didn't listen and read the printed version and made an incorrect assumption. I should have listened. I didn't know that GD is so offensive that it can't be put into print.
 
Nuyoika said:
The other funny part about that argument is that people are assuming if they had those players they would be able to achieve just as much and frankly that's not the case. I was having this conversation on Cockytalk a couple of weeks ago. If you can't do more with less (talent or otherwise) you certainly can't do more with more. Put some of those number 1 players under the tutelage of another coach and they would still be very good but they would not be great. In fact you could argue it is harder to coach better talent simply because they think they already know everything. Have you ever tried to tell something to a know-it-all? Coaches who like to pretend their coaching record has anything to do with anything less than their effort, the effort of their players, and the coaching staff lack self reflection and will therefor always be two steps forward 99 steps back.
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So true ...
I often look at players on other teams and players already in the pros and wonder what they might have been like with four years at Uconn. (Just one example is BG who I think is a fabulous player, but if she had been at Uconn, I think she would now be taking maybe 20% of her shots from the foul line area and be completely un-guardable as a result.) Of course some might now be in medical school instead of playing basketball! :eek::cool:
 
easttexastrash said:
The number 1 player in each class is not always a program changer. Tina Charles was a program changer. Maya Moore was a program change. Breanna Setwart is a program changer. Those players are around for 4 years so even if you don't get the number 1 player the next couple of years, you have that incomparable player for fours years, which definitely gives you an advantage and makes coaching a bit easier. Geno has made a statement about the correlation between recruiting and coaching, although I can't remember the quote off the top of my head.

Once again, I point to EDD. Had she not left basketball UCONN would have won four titles during her time there and Maya would not have exited her senior year without a title. Those two together would have been unstoppable.
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EDD could have been the first player with 4 titles. Instead, Stewie and Moriah may be.
 
easttexastrash said:
I doubt that they encouraged him to use -bomb, but maybe they did. If any other coach went on an f-bomb tirade in an interview and called their fans " stupid" they would get skewered here.
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he did tell Geno it was ok to use foul langauage... I think Geno was like "frick" and he said nah you can say the word
 
easttexastrash said:
Thanks, Eric. I didn't listen and read the printed version and made an incorrect assumption. I should have listened. I didn't know that GD is so offensive that it can't be put into print.
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easttexastrash said:
The number 1 player in each class is not always a program changer. Tina Charles was a program changer. Maya Moore was a program change. Breanna Setwart is a program changer. Those players are around for 4 years so even if you don't get the number 1 player the next couple of years, you have that incomparable player for fours years, which definitely gives you an advantage and makes coaching a bit easier. Geno has made a statement about the correlation between recruiting and coaching, although I can't remember the quote off the top of my head.

Once again, I point to EDD. Had she not left basketball UCONN would have won four titles during her time there and Maya would not have exited her senior year without a title. Those two together would have been unstoppable.
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Maya most certainly did not exit "her senior year without a title"!
 
It depends on how you interpret exiting "her senior year without a title"! Does it apply to ONLY her senior year or to her entire stay at UConn. I tend to side with the former as it specifies senior year but I understand how it could be interpreted as her entire career at UConn.
 
RadyLady said:
to your number 2 - he is not talking about the UConn fans who travel to cheer for him. He is talking about the inane chatter of that ilk on fan boards such as this one. If you are not one of those who fit that particular comment, you have nothing about which to be upset IMO
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I understand what you are saying and I am not one of those fans. However, a fan is a fan. There are better choice words or classier ways to say things. I know its Geno but that is no excuse. Again, I am not shocked because I understand Geno but why use those words about fans? I get just as frustrated and upset over dumb comments/criticism from fans but would not use such words.
 
some people can't afford to use such words, Geno can!
 
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
 
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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.
 
chrissaran said:
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.
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Yeah, but could Mahatma Ghani's or Mother Theresa's coach? Geno could take his'n and beat their'n and take their'n and beat his'n".
(Apologies to Bum Phillips)
 
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.!!
 
UcMiami said:
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.
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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." :D

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

 
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."
 
DaddyChoc said:
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
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Yes but she won a title that summer with the Lynx so it counts as a title that year :)
 
chrissaran said:
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.
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True dat.

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