Geno Auriemma picks up where Dan Hurley left off--makes 4-peat promise to UConn fans amid national championship celebrations

UConn coach Geno Auriemma continued the Huskies' national championship celebrations in Hartford on Sunday with a parade and rally. Auriemma won his 12th national championship last week with a victory over South Carolina, picking up where the men's basketball team left off.

Dan Hurley and his UConn team won back-to-back national championships in the last two years but failed to deliver the three-peat this season. While the men's team fell short, the women's team picked up the slack and delivered another national title to Storrs — technically a three-peat for the school.

Auriemma addressed the UConn fans at the rally.

"This is pretty incredible, it's pretty special. Well, we already knew that because you guys are special fans and your special supporters. And this is the third parade in three years. So we are now officially the parade capital of the world," Auriemma said (5:40 mark).

Geno Auriemma then thanked all of the fans for their support, not just on Sunday, but every time they pack the arena. He also noted that the players have had a lot of ups and downs individually and as a team. In order to overcome all of that and be standing there as national champions is a credit to how strong they are physically and mentally.

He ended with one final promise:

"You remember Coach Hurley said it was going to be a three-peat," Auriemma added (at 8:38). "Well, things didn't go exactly according to plan. But it was a three-peat. I don't know whether it's going to be us or them, but damn, we're gonna try to make it a four-peat."

Geno Auriemma says parades never get old, fans still bring unmatched energy

Geno Auriemma has been a fixture in women's college basketball for nearly four decades, but the UConn coach still marvels at the fanfare that surrounds his program's success.

During the post-parade press conference, Auriemma was asked about his previous comment that the program is the "parade capital of the world."

"Yeah. Somebody said, does this ever get old? I said, well, it's been some time since we had one. So, now you can see the difference," Auriemma said. "Not even in whether there was more or less people, just the enthusiasm and the passion that our fans have for our team. It was just remarkable."

Geno Auriemma added that he enjoys watching the players take in the experience because it reminds him of the very first parade UConn had.