UConn’s Geno Auriemma has officially surpassed Tara VanDerveer to become the winningest coach in NCAA Division I basketball history. Auriemma secured his record-breaking 1,217th win on Wednesday with the Huskies beating Fairleigh Dickinson 85-41, and the celebration that followed was a memorable one.
As the final buzzer went off, Harry A. Gampel Pavilion erupted into cheers. It was a sold-out crowd that included over 60 of Auriemma’s former players who wanted to help him celebrate the milestone.
“Whenever this is all over, what we’ll remember is tonight. We’ll remember this,” Auriemma said during the postgame ceremony. “And I’ll remember each and every one of my players that I’ve ever coached… I don’t know how much I helped them get what they wanted, but they helped me get everything I wanted, so thank you.”
Former WNBA star Sue Bird was one of a few former Huskies who gave a speech. Despite joking about how players would have ranting sessions about the coaching staff, she highlighted the impact Auriemma and associate head coach Chris Dailey had on their players.
“My hope for you tonight is that you take a look around and really take this in and look at all these faces because every person in…
