surprise – Last week in Texas, during the women’s NCAA Tournament regionals, I asked Geno Auriemma and his UConn players how they prepare for adversity, given how little they’ve faced on the court this season.
“As far as adversity, I would say the adversity is me, okay? They’ve had to be with me every day for five months, so I try to do everything for them that can happen this time of year, that you need to be prepared for,” Auriemma said.
On Friday night in Phoenix, South Carolina faced UConn in one game of season adversity and ended the Huskies’ quest for a 13th title with a 62-48 loss in the national semifinals. UConn’s previous best season had ended and so had the team’s 54-game winning streak. And while all of the Huskies struggled with the Gamecocks’ tough defense and clutch shooting, the person who looked least prepared for the adversity was Auriemma himself.
The coach gave a surprise in-game interview to ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the third quarter in which he complained about officiating, criticized Gamecocks head coach Don Staley for the language he used with officials and accused the Gamecocks of ripping Sarah Strong’s jersey.
Then, as the game was ending – but, notably, before the buzzer sounded – Auriemma approached Staley, presumably for a postgame handshake. He started yelling at him, had to be restrained by his assistants and then, after sending both sides back to their benches so the clock could actually wind down to zero, he walked off towards the tunnel without participating in the actual handshake line.
Geno Auriemma, Don Staley have heated exchange after UConn’s Final Four loss: What we know
jack maloney
It was an embarrassing display of anger from a great coach, and he somehow made it even worse in the post-game press conference. That press conference began with her refusing to divulge what she said to Staley (“I just said what I had to say. Nothing. Nothing.”) and ended with her discussing the “double standard” and speculating that Staley, a black woman, gets more leeway to rebuke officers.
At times he complained about Staley not shaking his hand just before tip-off. This appears to have been the root cause of Auriemma’s resentment toward Staley – even though he had shaken Auriemma’s hand at a different point before the game.
Auriemma also incorrectly said several times that South Carolina players tore UConn star Sarah Strong’s jersey, when Strong herself sat at the podium next to Auriemma and admitted that she tore her jersey. And Auriemma refused to apologize for his comments to Rowe.
This left everyone at the press conference looking around in disbelief, wondering, “How did we get here?” Losing is hard, and everyone, even veterans, deserve a little grace in tough moments. But Auriemma crossed the line so many times with his tantrums that it’s worth wondering if there’s even a way to get back to the other side.
It seems almost silly to describe the irrational breakdown of a grown man, but I guess that’s where we are. I will try my best.
Let’s start with the pre-game handshake-gate. Staley told ESPN after the game that it seemed like Auriemma was upset by the lack of handshake near tip-off. When asked specifically about this, Auriemma confirmed.
“I mean, I’ve been coaching for 41 years and, I don’t know, 25 Final Fours. The protocol is before the game, when you meet at halfcourt. Has anyone seen this before? Two coaches meet at halfcourt and they shake hands, right? Ever seen that? They announce it over the loudspeaker,” he said. “I waited there for about three minutes.”
When another reporter pointed out that there were several photos and videos of the handshake before the game, Auriemma scoffed.
He said, “No, I think you’ve missed what I’m talking about, so… I wouldn’t want to go into that.” “Anyone who has been to the NCAA Tournament, you know what I’m talking about.”
Next, we have Jersey-gate, which is pretty much cut and dry. That’s all Strong said as he tore off his jersey and sat next to Auriemma on the podium. Auriemma was told by a reporter that there was video of Strong ripping his jersey. Only then did he let it go, although he continued to complain about the officiating.
Then we have the secondary gate. Auriemma told Rowe after the third quarter that Staley “cussed on the sideline and called the referees some names you don’t want to hear.” A reporter asked him about a moment in the second quarter, where Staley was yelling at the officials and seemed to be asking if he was allowed to talk to them like that.
“I just want to make sure there’s no double standards,” he said. “My opinion is that if I ever talked to an officer that way, I would be harassed. So I just want to make sure there’s not a double standard, that some people are allowed to talk to officers that way and other people aren’t. That’s all.”
Finally, we have postgame handshake-gate, which Auriemma didn’t directly address. But he certainly didn’t apologize for leaving the court without shaking hands with the South Carolina players, which was an absolutely disrespectful move for any head coach, let alone someone of his stature, experience and importance to the game.
Often, diving into game film provides more nuance to the situation or shows you that your first impression of the game was off base. In this case, it’s quite the opposite. Auriemma’s actions on Friday were inexcusable and while they won’t come close to erasing his massive impact on the game and his three decades and unprecedented success at UConn, they can and should tarnish his legacy a bit.
This is a man whose ego was bruised, who was personally outcoached during the game and who melted into his own self-pity and victimhood because of it. Their players played poorly, there is no way to avoid it. Staley may have ignored him before tip-off – unintentionally or not – and the referees may have missed some calls during the game. But none of this comes close to excusing his behavior. After a season of blowout wins and Big East dominance, Auriemma collapsed at the slightest hint of difficulty and challenge.
This night, indeed, he was in an unfavorable situation.
