University of Connecticut Athletics
Women's Basketball Coach Geno Auriemma Signs New Contract
1/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
STORRS, Conn. (January 14, 2005) -- The University of Connecticut and head women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma have agreed to terms for a new five-year contract that will run through April 15, 2009. The new contract is effective retroactively on July 1, 2004. During the fourth year of the contract, Auriemma and UConn will negotiate terms of a future contract to take effect following the completion of the current agreement.
Auriemma is currently in his 20th season at Connecticut and has led the Huskies to five NCAA Division I Championships in 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004. He has also led the Huskies to eight NCAA Final Four appearances, 14 BIG EAST Conference regular season championships and UConn has played in the NCAA tournament every year since 1989. He currently has 541 career coaching wins -- all at Connecticut -- and has a winning percentage of .835, which places him among the all-time active leaders.
He led UConn to an incredible NCAA Division I record 70-game winning streak from 2001-2003. He has helped produce six National Players of the Year and eight Olympians.
Auriemma will receive a base salary of $200,000 for the 2004-05 academic year and that amount will increase by $25,000 annually through the contract. In addition to his base salary, Auriemma will receive $625,000 in the first year of the contract for institutional public relations commitments and that figure will increase $50,000 annual through the life of the contract. The two combined figures will be $825,000 for 2004-05, $900,000 for 2005-06, $975,000 for 2006-07, $1,050,000 for 2007-08 and $1,125,000 for 2008-09.
Auriemma will also receive compensation for additional services if the UConn team advances to national postseason competition. Auriemma will receive one month of base salary if the Huskies play in the NCAA or WNIT tournament and two months of base salary for an NCAA Final Four appearance.
“Geno is the finest women’s college basketball coach in the country and we are very pleased to announce this new contract,” says UConn Director of Athletics Jeff Hathaway. “Coach Auriemma has developed an outstanding reputation for producing winning teams on the basketball court here at UConn and for having quality student-athletes in the program. He is an outstanding member of the community here on campus and in the entire state of Connecticut. We look forward to many more years of success with Coach Auriemma leading our women’s basketball program.”
“I am very glad we were able to do this and I want to thank (President) Phil Austin and Jeff Hathaway for all their support,” says Auriemma. “I want to thank the people of Connecticut who have been so supportive of me and our program for the past 20 years. This new contract is a reflection of the University’s commitment to me and my commitment to the University .”
