When Geno Auriemma highlighted key similarities in him, Dawn Staley and Muffet McGraw: "It's evident when you watch our teams play"

Geno Auriemma, Dawn Staley and Muffet McGraw are some of the biggest coaches in the women's college basketball world. Interestingly all three of them are from Pennsylvania.

Interestingly all three of them led their respective teams in the Final Four of the 2014-15 season. At the time, Auriemma led UConn, Staley led South Carolina and McGraw led Notre Dame.

When asked during the 2015 Final Four press conference if he had taken the time to appreciate the Philly ties among the coaches, Auriemma acknowledged the significance.

"It obviously has not been lost on me," Auriemma said. "And we're all connected in certain ways. I was assistant at St. Joe's, and when I left, Jim Foster hired Muffet to take my place. And obviously, I have Dawn on my staff now with the U.S. National Team."

Auriemma also spoke about immense pride in the shared upbringing and basketball education the trio received in the Philadelphia area:

"There's, I think, a lot of respect there among the three of us. And I think we're all proud of where we come from, how we learned the game, and the way we carry ourselves. What we expect from our teams and the way we view the game. I think we're all obviously a product of where we grew up."

More so, the most striking similarity is the way they conduct their teams.

"But we all have similar traits. And I think it's evident when you watch our teams play," Auriemma said.

Geno Auriemma was excited for Dawn Staley's First Final Four

Dawn Staley made several deep runs in the NCAA Tournament but none reached to Final Four until the 2014-15 season. That season, she led South Carolina to a 34-3 overall record and 15-1 in the Southeastern Conference.

During the same press conference, Geno Auriemma shared his excitement and wished Staley luck ahead of the unfolding of the 2015 NCAA Final Four:

"I'm really excited. I'm excited for both of them, and this is Dawn's first one as a coach. And I'm really thrilled. I wish I was a bystander and could sit there and root for all three of us."

Staley's South Carolina lost against Muffet McGraw's Notre Dame in a close 66-65 game to advance to the NCAA championship game. In the other semifinal, Geno Auriemma's Huskies won against Maryland, 81-58. In the national championship game, UConn won against Notre Dame, 63-53.