Will Geno Auriemma retire after 12th national championship? $18M-worth UConn HC's future options explored

UConn coach Geno Auriemma won his 12th national championship with the Huskies on Sunday after beating defending champions South Carolina 82-59 in the final at Amalie Arena. The tactician had guided UConn to its first women's basketball title in 1995 and followed up with 11 more in the first quarter of the 21st century.

Other 71-year-olds would think about spending their time at home, going fishing or to the beach or travelling around the world with their loved ones, but not the Montella, Italy-born Auriemma, whose net worth is pegged at $18 million (per Celebrity Net Worth). It's because he's under contract with UConn for the next four years and by the time his deal is up, he will be 75.

The veteran coach, who holds the record for most wins among collegiate coaches encompassing both genders, at 1,250, signed a contract extension in May 2024, which will pay him $18.7 million over five years. The deal, which will end in the 2028-29 season, placed him as the second-highest-paid coach in women's basketball (behind Dawn Staley) at $3.34 million.

It means that Geno Auriemma will be Azzi Fudd's coach next season, teach five-star recruit Kelis Fisher to become the next Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Paige Bueckers and oversee the development of forward Sarah Strong and 6-foot-5 Egyptian center Jana El-Alfy over the next few seasons.

In a post-game scrum with reporters, Auriemma didn't mention his immediate plans, saying that he still feels young but knows that his time as a coach is coming to a close.

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Geno Auriemma admits coaching college basketball is fun but difficult

UConn coach Geno Auriemma, whose annual pay is set to increase to $3.54 million beginning April 15, admitted that working with college basketball players makes him feel young.

However, the stress of forming the right combination, calling the appropriate plays during games and making game-winning plays in the dying seconds make it challenging.

"These kids are fun," the 12-time champion coach said. "But there is going to come a time when the fun doesn't eliminate how hard it is to do this job. This job is really hard to do.

"When I tell you it's really out of your hands, it really is true. All of this is in the hands of the players who are playing. And they made it all worthwhile today," he added.

Auriemma has been with the Huskies since 1985, and his record of 1,250-165 is the standard for Division I coaches. NC State's Wes Moore is the next best among active coaches in wins (859), while four-time champion Kim Mulkey and three-time champion Dawn Staley have 754 and 647 wins, respectively.

Barring any career-threatening events, Auriemma is expected to win at least 120 more games over the next four seasons and improve on his individual and team accolades before his contract is up in the 2028-29 season.

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