On Wednesday, University of Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma made history, becoming the winningest coach in NCAA history. His 1,217th career victory, a dominant 85-41 win over Fairleigh Dickinson University, earned him the title of “Greatest of All Time” — and a live goat to celebrate the occasion.
With this victory, Auriemma surpassed retired Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, who he had been tied with for the record. Reflecting on his remarkable career, Auriemma said, “We never sat down and said, ‘Hey, let’s make a 40-year plan and see if we can make this happen.’ It’s about coming here every day and trying to be better than we were yesterday.”
Auriemma, 70, has transformed UConn into a women’s basketball powerhouse over the past four decades. Under his leadership, the Huskies have won 11 national championships, 59 conference titles, six undefeated seasons, and made 23 Final Four appearances. He was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, and also led the U.S. women’s basketball Olympic team to gold medals in 2012 and 2016.
The historic game was a celebratory affair, with more than 60 UConn alumni in attendance, including WNBA stars Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, and Maya Moore. The school also commemorated the event with a special fan fest, complete with a goat petting zoo, and ice cream specials at the famous UConn Dairy Bar.
As the game concluded, the UConn student section proudly displayed signs spelling out “1,217,” and confetti fell from the ceiling in celebration. In a postgame ceremony, Auriemma and associate head coach Chris Dailey, both in their 40th season with the program, were presented with gifts, including a ladder from Nike and a sign from Connecticut’s governor.
The highlight of the celebration came when a live goat was brought out onto the court, symbolizing Auriemma’s “Greatest of All Time” title. As Auriemma pet the goat, he joked with the crowd: “Just so you know, there’s an old wives’ tale that whenever you do this with animals, especially goats — if this goat takes a dump on this carpet, we’re going to win a national championship.” The crowd erupted in applause, marking another unforgettable moment in Auriemma’s legendary career.