“I’ve never been more miserable than last 3-4 years”:  Legendary coach Geno Auriemma explains emotions for Paige Bueckers and co.

Off his 12th NCAA Tournament title, UConn coach Geno Auriemma is a satisfied man. The 71-year-old Auriemma was back on top after having not won a title since 2016. That may not sound rough, but Auriemma hadn't experienced a title drought of longer than four years.

In a recent appearance on ESPN's SportsCenter, Auriemma fielded a question about being as fulfilled as he had been as a coach. He wasn't shy about hiding the other side of the coin.

Auriemma dishes on "miserable" years without title

"I'd never been more miserable than the last three or four years, coaching a depleted team. You know, you're waiting for the next shoe to drop and this year, we kind of knew that things were going in the right direction.... It was one of those rides where you just feel the magic."-- Geno Auriemma

The Huskies made six Final Four appearances between the 2016 and 2025 titles. In fact, in both 2017 and 2018, Auriemma and UConn reached the Final Four with an undefeated season, only to have each season derail in a Final Four loss.

In 2017, it was Mississippi State delivering a 66-64 shocker before falling to South Carolina in the NCAA title game. In 2018, Notre Dame delivered a 91-89 overtime shocker to end a perfect season.

In 2022, UConn made it all the way to the national title game, where it fell to South Carolina.

Auriemma's 2025 "misery" breaking Huskies

Auriemma did construct an outstanding 2025 team that broke the UConn struggle. Seniors Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd were an outstanding foundation on which the Huskies leaned heavily.

Freshman Sarah Strong was arguably better than expected. Fifth-year senior Kaitlyn Chen was a solid addition from Princeton. Role players developed in sophomores Ashlynn Shade and KK Arnold and freshman center Jana El Alfy.

Auriemma's 2026 squad has already gotten a massive break with the news that Fudd decided to turn down the WNBA Draft, where she was a near-certain first-round draft pick, to return to Connecticut for one final season of eligibility.

With Fudd, Strong, and some of the underclassmen standouts set to return to the hardwood, Auriemma is unlikely to endure three or four years of misery before another UConn team brings home the championship.

What do you think of Auriemma's admission? Share your take on the legendary Huskies head coach below in our comments section!