When Geno Auriemma recalled “great night out in Cabo” with Mark Few: “I don’t know what happened to the other 2 guys”

Geno Auriemma and Mark Few got to know each other thanks to Nike-sponsored events every summer. Speaking last year, the UConn Huskies' head coach humorously brought to light how the two had fun on vacation.

Auriemma recalled a specific night he had with Few, and others, in an episode of the "What Drives Winning" show uploaded to YouTube in March 2023. He said the two went to the resort city of Cabo, Mexico. The two enjoyed their time together as Auriemma experienced the renowned Gonzaga coach's way of "not taking himself too seriously." Auriemma said,

"We were in Cabo one time, and we had a great night out, you know. And we started out with four or five, we came back with two or three. I don't know what happened to the other two guys, but I just always admired how he does his thing and how he doesn't take himself too seriously" [1:15].

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When Geno Auriemma pointed out the "most impressive" thing about Mark Few

Geno Auriemma had plenty to say about Mark Few throughout the episode, including what he saw as the most impressive about the Gonzaga coach. Auriemma said,

"The most impressive thing I think about Mark is he was at Gonzaga when everybody said, you don't want to play Gonzaga because they're the big upstart team. And he was a certain way, exactly the way he is now, and now Gonzaga is the number one team in the country.

"So they've gone from that upstart team that you don't want to play to now they're the favorite to win a national championship. And from my perspective, he hasn't changed one bit, not one iota. And I really, really admire him for that" [1:48].

Few has accomplished an impressive list of accomplishments in his career as head coach of the Bulldogs since 1999. Gonzaga has been a powerhouse in the West Coast Conference, winning 22 regular season titles and 19 conference tournaments, and has also been a frequent presence in the NCAA Tournament.

Even though Gonzaga has yet to reach the mountaintop of winning a national championship, they have made multiple deep runs with Few at the helm, including two runner-up finishes, eight Sweet Sixteens, and three Elite Eights. Few boasts a 43-24 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament while having a dominant 45-5 record in the WCC Tournament.

While Mark Few does not boast a national championship in his resume, Geno Auriemma recognized his undeniable impact on Gonzaga and his role in getting the team to its place in the national spotlight. That is why the UConn coach has major respect for his colleague.