“That’s why nobody likes you”: When $18 million worth Geno Auriemma remembered his mom’s words while listing things that bother him

Geno Auriemma has been leading the UConn Huskies for 40 seasons now and he has won 11 national championships with his team. He became the winningest coach in NCAA history in November 2024, surpassing retired Stanford coach, Tara VanDerveer's 1216 wins.

In an interview with Brett Ledbetter for "What Drives Winning" in January 2024, Auriemma, who is worth $18 million (per Celebrity Net Worth), was asked:

“If you’re going to be an elite leader, what can’t bother you?”

The UConn coach listed many things, including understanding certain players' potential and performance levels. He then talked about the attitude towards winning, posing a hypothetical question asking if a person is entitled to winning a national championship every single year.

"No, you're not. So stop acting like you are," he said. (3:07) "It's like my mother said to me a while back, 'G, why you got to win all the time? That's why nobody likes you because you win all the time. Why don't you let somebody else win.'

"Like you got to be kidding me. So now you go, you're not supposed to win all the time. If you won all the time, what's the point?"

Although Geno Auriemma's approach to success may have evolved over the years, his constant hunger is the reason why the UConn Huskies are considered one of the best programs in the country. Auriemma has seen the growth of some of the best players in college and the WNBA, including Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, Maya Moore, Sue Bird and more.

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Geno Auriemma crosses another career milestone with the UConn Huskies

On Sunday, the UConn Huskies played against Providence and won 77-40. This was Geno Auriemma's 1400th game as a coach and he ranked fourth on the all-time list of games coached by a women's college basketball coach.

Ahead of Auriemma on the list are Tara VanDerveer 1487 (Stanford, Ohio State and Idaho), C. Vivian Stringer 1481 (Rutgers, Iowa and Cheyney State), and Sylvia Hatchell 1,428 (North Carolina and Francis Marion).

With the win over the Friars, UConn extended its dominance in the Big East conference with a 13-0 record. The Huskies are 22-3 overall after the losses to Notre Dame, USC and Tennessee.

The last time Geno Auriemma won an NCAA championship was in 2016 with Breanna Stewart. This season could be the one where the Huskies can do it but they will face stiff competition from the defending champions, South Carolina Gamecocks and the UCLA Bruins, who are currently on an undefeated season run.