When UConn’s Geno Auriemma credited $114.23 billion worth company for his meeting with Gonzaga HC Mark Few

Geno Auriemma and Mark Few have gotten to know each other over the years as two of the best coaches in college basketball. How they got to personally connect involved a particular multi-billion-dollar company.

Auriemma explained how he got to meet the Gonzaga coach in an episode of the "What Drives Winning" show that was uploaded to YouTube in March 2023. According to him, popular sports brand Nike, worth $114.23 billion (according to Forbes), brings the coaches who are signed with them together every summer to interact with each other.

"We've both been with Nike a long time, and Nike does a great job of bringing their coaches together every summer. And for a lot of the summers I couldn't go, I didn't go. And then I started going on a regular basis, and I met Mark through, you know, just things that they have you do, where you interact with other coaches, you know, and just watched how he was, you know, you see his demeanor, you know, and on the sidelines, and we were talking about that, and he's kind of like that, you know, low key guy," Auriemma said.

Geno Auriemma gave injury update on Azzi Fudd

Even though UConn is off to a 8-0 start on the season, Geno Auriemma did address an injury that occurred to key player Azzi Fudd during their game against Louisville on Dec. 7. She has sustained severe injuries in the past, but the Huskies coach provided words of encouragement to her after the recent event.

"You know, I sat down next to her on the bench and I told her 'This is not gonna go the way it has gone in the past.' So we just needed to inject some positive thinking there. Given the alternative, I think she's pretty pleased," Auriemma said.

"It didn't look like worst case scenario, let's put it that way. That we were all crossing our fingers and hoping. We'll know more when we get back. I hope I'm right — but it's not that worst case scenario that we've seen so many times before."

Having torn her ACL last year, Fudd returned on Nov. 20 against the FDU Knights. Before spraining her knee against Louisville, she was averaging 10 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists after five appearances.

Geno Auriemma and the No. 2 Huskies will have to move forward without Fudd, preparing for a ranked matchup with No. 8 Notre Dame at the Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana, on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. ET.