UConn’s Auriemma Inks Record-Breaking Deal, Becomes Highest-Paid Women’s Basketball Coach
Geno Auriemma, the head coach of the UConn women’s basketball team, has agreed to a five-year contract extension that would keep him in that role through the 2028–2029 campaign, the university said on Tuesday. The 70-year-old Auriemma will be paid $3.34 million in the first season of his contract, with an increase of $200,000 per year after that, making him the best paid women’s basketball coach in the nation.
“I still find it hard to believe that I’ve been at UConn for over half my life,” Auriemma said in the release. “I feel like there’s so much more that can be done, and will be done, and I’m excited to be the one to do it with my staff and my team. I’m probably as excited about these next few years as I’ve ever been over the last 40.”
The GOATfather is here to stay 🐐
Geno Auriemma has signed a five-year contract extension. pic.twitter.com/1WW2qASDqK
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) June 4, 2024
Auriemma is only four wins away from surpassing Tara VanDerveer, the former women’s basketball coach of Stanford, in terms of victories in NCAA basketball history. VanDerveer, who declared her retirement in April, is in her 45th season of coaching and established a record this past season with 1,216 wins.
The 2024-25 season will be Auriemma’s 40th season in coaching, with all 40 seasons coming at UConn.
After VanDerveer and former Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, Auriemma became the third coach in basketball history to reach 1,200 wins. When he did so in February, he gave a hint to what many believed to be an impending retirement by stating that he anticipated his remaining victories would be in the single digits rather than the hundreds.
“I could probably say, with a great deal of certainty, that I’ll never be No. 1 in wins, I don’t think that will happen,” Auriemma said. But, this contract extension seems to put at least another 100 wins on the table as a possibility considering the Huskies have averaged 30 wins a year over the past five seasons.
Auriemma had, arguably, his best coaching performance of his career this past season. While dealing with injuries to multiple starters and, at times, having just seven players available to play, the Huskies made a Final Four run.
With the help of WNBA players Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Mühl, as well as former national player of the year Paige Bueckers, who played with great inspiration, UConn was able to return to the national scene and break their record of 14 straight Final Four appearances when they lost in the Sweet 16 of the 2022–2023 season due to a season marred by injuries and lineup changes.
Heading into the 2024-25 season the Huskies return Bueckers, Big East freshman of the year Ashlynn Shade, Azzi Fudd, KK Arnold and Aubrey Griffin.
They also add forward Sarah Strong, the top recruit in the 2024 class, along with McDonald’s All-Americans Allie Ziebel and Morgan Cheli. Out of the transfer portal, Auriemma also acquired point guard Kaitlyn Chen, a Princeton graduate who was taught for three seasons by UConn alumna Carla Berube.
If the Huskies can stay healthy, they could be in contention for the program’s 12th national title.
With two veteran coaches leaving their positions this past year alone (VanDerveer leaving Stanford after 38 years in charge and Lisa Bluder leaving Iowa after 24 seasons in charge and four decades in coaching), UConn should be able to retain its recruiting class and roster thanks to the five-year contract.
This contract gives the Huskies even more room to add to their already impressive trophy cabinet by sending a message to the outside world—as well as to current and prospective players—that Auriemma is here to stay, despite his remarks about “single-digit wins.” Stanford and Iowa, for example, have Kate Paye and Jan Jensen, respectively, as their obvious coaches-in-waiting.
(Photo: Soobum Im / Getty Images)