UConn head coach Geno Auriemma lost his cool with Dawn Staley after his team’s Final Four loss, and he could soon be losing some money over the incident.
Auriemma angrily confronted Staley after her South Carolina team knocked off UConn in the Final Four. The UConn coach remained heated after the game, when he ripped both Staley and officials for what he saw as preferential treatment toward the South Carolina team and coach.
Auriemma now faces the possibility of a fine for his actions, which could mirror what the UConn men’s head coach was handed earlier this year.
Geno Auriemma Claimed Dawn Staley Got Special Treatment
Speaking to reporters after the game, Auriemma explained that he was frustrated to see a disparity in calls.
âThere were six fouls called that quarter, all of them against us. And theyâve been beating the [expletive] out of our guys down there the entire game,â Auriemma said. âIâm not making excuses, because we havenât been able to make a shot. But this is ridiculous.”
The UConn coach also accused referees of giving Staley more leeway, saying he would have been ejected if he confronted them as she had.
âTheir coach rants and raves on the sideline and calls the referees some names that you donât want to hear,” Auriemma said. “And now we got 6-0, and Iâve got a kid with a ripped jersey, and they go, I didnât see it. Come on man, this is for the national championship!â
Auriemma faced some sharp criticism for his behavior, especially his claim that Staley ignored him and skipped the traditional pregame handshake. Video showed that Staley did shake his hand, then greeted other members of the UConn staff prior to the game.
Geno Auriemma Could Face Five-Figure Punishment
Though Auriemma may not get in trouble with the NCAA itself, the Big East has been known to hand out fines to coaches who openly criticize or confront officials. The conference could follow the precedent set by another UConn basketball coach, men’s leader Dan Hurley.
The Big East fined Hurley $25,000 after he confronted an official following the team’s loss at Marquette in early March. Hurley shouted at official John Gaffney after UConn’s Silas Demary drove to the hoops with the Huskies trailing by two points late in the game, with Hurley strongly believing there should have been a foul.
In announcing the fine, the Big East said Hurley “failed to leave the court in a timely manner,” though the league found that he didn’t actually make contact with Gaffney while confronting him.
UConn commissioner Val Ackerman made it clear when announcing Hurley’s fine that the league would not tolerate that behavior toward officials.
“We hold our coaches to high standards of sportsmanlike conduct during game competition, and inappropriate interactions with our officials will not be tolerated,” Ackerman said, via CBS Sports.
While Auriemma didn’t directly confront officials, the league will likely review his actions toward Staley and sharp criticism after the game to determine if he would face a fine.
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