UConn’s Geno Auriemma, UNC’s Sylvia Hatchell reach 1000 wins

Photo Credit: David Butler II/USA Today Sports

Historic moments, UConn, and Geno Auriemma seem to go hand in hand in hand as they do for Sylvia Hatchell and the women’s basketball program at North Carolina.

Auriemma and the UConn women’s program did so once again when longtime head coach Geno Auriemma reached the 1000-win plateau. It happened when the Huskies defeated Oklahoma on the home court of the Connecticut Sun – Mohegan Sun Arena.

The Huskies defeated the Sooners by a final of 88-64 on Tuesday night to further etch Auriemma’s name in the lore of women’s basketball history.

His assistant coach, Chris Dailey, has been right there as well for all of Auriemma’s victories.

 

You feel incredibly fortunate that you’re one of a very select few and some of the great coaches that have ever coached.

 

–Geno Auriemma

Photo Credit: Lance King/Getty Images

In addition to Auriemma, North Carolina women’s basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell also made it to the millennia mark when the Tar Heels defeated Grambling State in a 79-63 decision in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It certainly serves as a milestone achievement for a coach, who back in 2013 was diagnosed with leukemia.

The only other two women’s college coaches to reach that summit—Tara VanDerveer and Pat Summitt. Only one men’s coach has made it to that mark as well—Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski. That is rarefied air to say the least.

They may also be joined by C. Vivian Stringer, the head coach at Rutgers, who sits 12 wins shy of the millennia mark.



By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)