STORRS, Conn. — Geno Auriemma is being recognized for his remarkable 40-year tenure as the driving force behind UConn’s prominence in women’s basketball.
On Wednesday evening, both Auriemma and his longtime assistant, Chris Dailey, will be celebrated prior to the game where the second-ranked Huskies will compete against Fairleigh Dickinson.
Auriemma is currently tied for the most wins in college basketball history, totaling 1,216 victories, alongside Tara VanDerveer. Breaking this record seems highly likely as they face the Knights.

UConn has arranged a day full of festivities to honor Auriemma and Dailey, with more than 60 former players including legends like Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, and Rebecca Lobo expected to be in attendance.
Among these former Huskies, nearly twenty have made their mark in the WNBA.
The alumni are integral to the legacy of the program, which boasts an impressive record of 11 national championships. UConn has reached the Final Four stage 23 times, with 15 of those appearances coming in the last 16 years. These alumni will actively participate in pregame celebrations.

In addition to the ceremonies, a petting zoo featuring goats and a special ice cream flavor called “Legend-Berry Legacy” from the famed UConn Dairy Barn will be available to enhance the celebrations in honor of the two coaches.

Paige Bueckers, a standout player for the Huskies, expressed her thoughts on Auriemma’s humility, stating, “He gives credit to everybody around him, and he doesn’t really take it for himself.
But what he’s built here, it’s here because of him, so he definitely downplays it.”
She also emphasized the significance of the planned celebration, noting how Auriemma often shies away from the spotlight, “He doesn’t want to do the whole thing: the celebration, the goats, the ice cream, it’s all extra to him. But he deserves it, and we want to celebrate him because he doesn’t celebrate himself a lot. So everyone around him will make sure they do that job.”

Auriemma first joined UConn in 1985 and has since compiled a record of 1,216 wins against 162 losses throughout his career, with just one losing season occurring during his inaugural year at the university.
Before his arrival, the program had experienced only a single winning season.