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Hall of Fame UConn Coach Geno Auriemma shared his basketball wisdom with 250 coaches Thursday morning during the Coaches Hang-Time online clinic. Auriemma, who has won 11 NCAA women’s titles, mesmerized his listeners for the one-hour session. #CoachesHangTime #genoauriemma
Auriemma answered many questions during the clinic while talking about his championship program’s culture, sticking with his personal values through 37 years of coaching, dealing with players, and starting as a young coach teaching 9th-grade girls how to play the game. #HangTime
Auriemma said the Top 5 qualities of a good coach are: 1. Great communication, 2. Caring about people, 3. Knowing “your stuff,” 4. Organization, 5. When you’re wrong, apologize. “That gives you credibility,” the UConn coach said. #HangTime
Auriemma called himself “a life-long learner” and described how as a young coach in Philadelphia he often went to various practices or worked in camps to help grow his knowledge. “I constantly asked questions because I was always trying to learn,” he said. #HangTime
“Never did I think I knew everything,” Auriemma said. “I researched it, and tried things to see if they worked. I also realized that you’re only going to be as good as the players you’re coaching. That’s the same at every level.” #HangTime
In building a strong program, Auriemma said: “You have to have good people around you to keep you on the straight and narrow. You need people who will give you honest feedback.” He believes he has that at UConn, where he’s been able to recruit elite talent every year. #HangTime
Auriemma has coached 5 or 6 National High School Players of the Year and they have to adjust to the college level. “Their biggest adjustment is not having the ball in their hands 90 percent of the time,” he said. “They don’t know how to play with other great players.” #CHT
“Those young players end up standing when they don’t have the ball,” Auriemma said. “But they learn to cut and play with the other great players. Our players learn to play hard, have fun, and we play to win.” He said that style helps his players fare well in the WNBA. #CHT
Auriemma also likes the challenge of coaching great players. “Don’t be afraid to coach them,” he said. “They trust you and you trust them. Don’t treat them any differently from your other players, but they want to be coached.” #CHT
Auriemma said building team chemistry is crucial to winning. “Players are not always going to love each other,” he said. “They might not even like each other. But they have to respect each other and get along on the court.” He tries to recruit players that fit his program. #CHT
Auriemma said he’s accepted changes in the game, but still likes how “I coached 10 years ago and the way the players were.” He said players’ attitudes have changed as well as their expectations. “I treat them more with kid gloves and can’t go as hard with them. I changed.” #CHT
Auriemma said the game is much more open on offense now with spacing and using the ball screen. But he noted that his teams will still shoot the 15-footers and look to score in the post regardless of what the analytics say. #CHT
Auriemma also urged coaches to find a good “work/life balance” that will help them survive in a demanding career. “Coaching at UConn is what I do, but I don’t do it 24/7,” he said. “When you’re at work, work. When you’re at home, try to enjoy that. But it can be hard to do.” #CHT
At age 66, Auriemma has won 11 NCAA titles, been national Coach of the Year 8 times & has a 1,091-142 career record. But he’s still loves what he does while working with his players & staff. That showed during Wednesday’s Hang-Time clinic as he smiled throughout his talk. #CHT
