I’m not aware of any issues between the coaches. They aren’t best buddies but I always thought they had a mutually respectful relationship. I’ve never heard the pick-up game story but who knows? Geno is fairly mellow these days but could be spicy in his youth.
There was an issue with UConn fans toward Tara, though. In the 1996 Olympics, when Tara was head coach, USA Basketball forced Rebecca Lobo, who is revered by UConn fans, onto Tara’s Olympic team apparently against Tara’s wishes. Rebecca saw only a few minutes in the games, usually mop up minutes, even in the exhibition game vs UConn in Connecticut when the crowd was chanting Becca’s name. Husky fans were incensed and 30 years later you’ll still hear fans with a grudge against Tara for the “slight”. We had some rip-roaring arguments with Stanford fans on the Boneyard back then, there may have been booing when the teams played. Maybe there’s some holdover, I dunno