Geno Auriemma

Geno Auriemma has been at the helm of the University of Connecticut (UConn) women's basketball team since 1985. During his tenure, he has led UConn to 12 NCAA Division I national championships and 23 Final Four appearances. Auriemma has also guided UConn to 21 conference regular season titles and 20 conference tournament titles. His leadership has resulted in the highest winning percentage among Division I active coaches at 88.2%. In 2016, Auriemma surpassed UCLA men's coach John Wooden for the most college basketball championships. In 2025, he coached UConn to its twelfth NCAA Championship win and first since 2016. His coaching prowess is further exemplified by his record as the fastest coach to reach 700 wins in the history of college basketball at any level.

In addition to his duties at UConn, Auriemma served as the head coach for the United States women's national basketball team from 2009 to 2016. During his tenure, he led the team to gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Auriemma's influence extends beyond the court as he also serves on the Board of Directors for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund and the Connecticut Children's Foundation, Inc. His philanthropic efforts further include hosting charity events benefiting Connecticut Children's Medical Center through his series "Geno for the Kids."

Auriemma's contributions to basketball have been recognized with numerous awards throughout his career. He has won the Naismith Coach of the Year award eight times and the WBCA National Coach of the Year award seven times. In 2006, Auriemma was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. His expertise in basketball also extends to broadcasting, serving as an analyst during the WNBA season for ESPN and ESPN2.