Jacobs on Geno, Olympics and retirement. Good read.

[CL82]

I'm not a Jacobs fan but this was a pretty good read.

Link

 

[EricLA]

Sounds like as long as he keeps landing the top recruits, he will stick around. He may coach till he's 80 lol...

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

"It's like a lot of people said, if I hadn't mismanaged that team last year, we would have been undefeated as well as winning the national championship," Auriemma said. "What's the old saying? When Auburn or LSU won the national football championship, went undefeated and somebody said, 'Just think what Bear Bryant could have done with that team.' That's my world

Maybe he does read The BoneYard...

 

[doggydaddy]

"It's like a lot of people said, if I hadn't mismanaged that team last year, we would have been undefeated as well as winning the national championship," Auriemma said. "What's the old saying? When Auburn or LSU won the national football championship, went undefeated and somebody said, 'Just think what Bear Bryant could have done with that team.' That's my world

Maybe he does read The BoneYard...

He just won't admit it.

He does know about it. I've had he chance to mention it to him. He refers to us as "those crazies".

 

[Phil]

Excellent.

 

[Phil]

He just won't admit it.

He does know about it. I've had he chance to mention it to him. He refers to us as "those crazies".

I'm taking that as a compliment.

 

[Wonkster]

.
May I be the first to propose that Kathy Auriemma be signed as a walk-on for this upcoming season, to be rapidly followed by her number being added to the Huskies' Wall of Honor?

 

[ochoopsfan]

Based on this part of the article a big thanks should be for Kathy, Geno's wife.

Auriemma, 839-133 in 28 seasons at UConn, went home and took up the topic with his wife, Kathy.
"I said, 'We just won the Olympics. We're [en route to] a national championship. Maybe it's time to move onto something else. She looked at me and goes, 'You're kidding, right?' I said no I was being serious. She goes, 'I'm being serious, too. You're signing that five-year contract. That's all there's to it.'
"So even if I wanted to stop in 2016, I'm not sure I'd be allowed to."

 

[RadyLady]

He just won't admit it.

He does know about it. I've had he chance to mention it to him. He refers to us as "those crazies".

I am a crazy?

 

[Phil]

I am a crazy?

Jeff thought about referring to "those crazies, (except, of course, for RadyLady)" but decided against it. Or, for all we know, he did, and DD missed it.

 

[jplotinus]

Sounds like as long as he keeps landing the top recruits, he will stick around. He may coach till he's 80 lol...

80? I hope not. Knowing when to leave is important. Think "Paterno"..

 

[pinotbear]

80? I hope not. Knowing when to leave is important. Think "Paterno"..

please don't go There, jpl - besides which, Geno seems to have much more of a "complete" life, more enjoyment of life than JoePa. He golfs, he travels, he dines, he wines, he "summers seaside", he's involved with family. This is not insignificant, to those of us of a certain age: it can be too easy to let you career define who you are. If you are fortunate, you live life fully, in balance, with joy and sorrow, obligations and celebrations. Sometimes, it's not healthy to focus on Just.One.Thing. (which is your point, I think). I don't think that's a problem with Geno - he's engaged with many things. Now, the intensity of that engagement....

 

[jplotinus]

please don't go There, jpl - besides which, Geno seems to have much more of a "complete" life, more enjoyment of life than JoePa. He golfs, he travels, he dines, he wines, he "summers seaside", he's involved with family. This is not insignificant, to those of us of a certain age: it can be too easy to let you career define who you are. If you are fortunate, you live life fully, in balance, with joy and sorrow, obligations and celebrations. Sometimes, it's not healthy to focus on Just.One.Thing. (which is your point, I think). I don't think that's a problem with Geno - he's engaged with many things. Now, the intensity of that engagement....

You make good sense IMO. I agree with you, by and large. I'm not sure Paterno was that different. I think he was very involved with family, for example.

The issue of a coach staying on too long, as I claim Paterno did, has as much, if not more, to do with the program in question as it does the individual in question. Paterno stayed on longer than any of the top assistants that were waiting in the wings--one of whom was poison. The program stagnated because Paterno did not want to retire.

A part of Geno's legacy might well end up including how his succession is managed. I hasten to add here that I am not thinking about his leaving and certainly not anytime soon. "Retirement age" is a decent topic and one that need not arouse passions. That age was at one time firmly defined as 65. Now 70 is a norm. Some work only to 62 others a different age.

In coaching, it is said it is "hard to follow a legend." Examples of college programs falling a notch or two or more are common. I would offer tenn as a current example.

In the case of UCONN, Geno will approach one or the other of the "normal" retirement ages in 5 to 10 years approximately. Who replaces him and the process used at that far, but not too far distant time will likely be crucial if UCONN's dynasty is to continue.

I think it, meaning the issue of an orderly and dynasty-friendly succession, becomes more difficult if either side of the equation -- Geno or UCONN clings on for the sake of clinging if the normal retirement age is disregarded.

70 could be too soon, but 80 would likely be too long. That is just my opinion.

 

[ThisJustIn]

So, what if he stays to 79 and 364 days?

 

[Icebear]

There are parallels between Geno and Joe. Both have been tremendous family men. Both have been tremendously faithful to former players including them as the core of the organization. The list of assistant coaches for both includes large %s those who came up through the program. Both had significant business interests outside of the program. Both valued the student body as a whole encouraging them.

There are, also, significant differences.

 

[Kibitzer]

In the linked article Jeff Jacobs points out that Geno's schedule from September 10 to 20 will call for him to be in no city for longer than a day and a half.

In HuskyNan's recruiting summary, she states that "UConn will make home visits in September" to Durr (Georgia), Collier (Missouri), Brown (Louisiana), Boykin (Maryland), Wilson (South Carolina), and Nurse (Alberta).

That's a helluva lot of frequent flier miles!

What is more significant is that Geno apparently intends to make every visit, presumably assisted or accompanied on some by another coach. How many coaches would commit to a schedule like this? Or have a sufficient budget to not only make all these visits but also sponsor all the official visits to Storrs by recruits and their families?

Does anyone seriously believe that he will not ultimately secure at least three commitments among those he will visit on this trip?

 

[Icebear]

Jeff thought about referring to "those crazies, (except, of course, for RadyLady)" but decided against it. Or, for all we know, he did, and DD missed it.

Jeff knew better than to poke a crazy woman. Just ask RadyLady about our Facebook poke wars.

 

[RadyLady]

Jeff knew better than to poke a crazy woman. Just ask RadyLady about our Facebook poke wars.

I plead the fifth - especially if it is a fifth of really fine Scotch

 

[Zorro]

May I recommend "Beethoven's Fifth"? It is really old. Maybe even better, try Mendelsohn's Third. It is not quite as old, but it is still pretty old and it IS Scotch AND it is a third rather than a fifth.

 

[RadyLady]

Both are fine symphonies, the Beethoven I have played but not sung (and I take great pride in that) and the Mendelssohn's Scotch Symphony (yes it is the third, but mind you there are two "s" in the name) is a pleasure to perform yet I'd say it does little to warm the cockles on a chilly day...