Summary
Highlights
Auriemma recounts how he learned to regulate his emotions, moving past reacting to every small mistake as a 'dagger in my heart.' He shares an anecdote where his assistant reminded him to not 'do it' (lash out) after a critical mistake, and how Diana Taurasi, a player, pushed him to focus on instruction rather than criticism.
Geno Auriemma opens by discussing the quote 'Success is intoxicating, sustaining requires sobriety.' He believes that winning constantly can lead to defining oneself by success, making losing a personal affront. He emphasizes the need to understand the true reasons behind winning, as it's rarely 100% due to one person, to avoid becoming 'drunk on your own success.'
Auriemma reflects on a period from 1995 to 2004 when his team won multiple national championships but also experienced losses. During this time, he felt that external factors, rather than his coaching, were preventing them from winning every title, leading to an inflated ego about his own impact.
He shares the most important lesson learned for staying 'sober': that without exceptional players, even a great coach is just 'another really good coach.' He humorously responds to criticism about only winning with the best players by stating that he tried coaching with worse players and 'it didn't work,' emphasizing the necessity of talent.
Auriemma discusses the most important thing he had to unlearn: the belief that he could control every outcome and shape players into exactly what he wanted. He realized this mindset was 'ruining my view of what coaching is,' and that true coaching empowers players to be their best within their own comfort zones.
He learned that he has little control over winning and losing, but full control over preparing his team daily. A Russian player taught him that constant talk about winning national championships can be confusing; instead, the focus should be on getting better every day, shifting his attention from the end goal to the daily process.
Auriemma describes how his coaching style adapts based on team performance. When losing, he's encouraging and supportive. When winning, he's more critical to prevent complacency, using a 'brutal' approach from November to March 1st. He emphasizes the need to challenge players when they are at their best.
He explains that while the 'Disney Channel' (losing and being encouraged) is pleasant, the 'Winner's Channel' can be miserable because winning isn't enough, leading to players feeling dissatisfied. He aims to make players recognize their own shortcomings, rather than making them feel that even winning doesn't satisfy him.
He reveals he's always been a 'how' person, prioritizing how things happen over what happens. He even references golf as a humbling experience that teaches decision-making over outcome. He applies this to his players, making them evaluate their decisions rather than just the result, highlighting that sometimes a 'good shot' was a 'lucky' bad decision.
He defines 'winning habits' as 'professional habits,' which involve surrounding players with professionals who embody dedication and proficiency. Professionals, he explains, make hard things look easy and easy things look easy, contrasting them with amateurs who make both look hard. He demands that players take pride in the easy things and make the hard things look effortless.
Auriemma discusses maintaining trust when a desired process is in place but doesn't always lead to the desired result. He believes that if the process is correct, results will eventually align. He focuses on the 'how' because he has no control over a made or missed shot, only whether it was the right shot to take.
He addresses how to support players whose trust might waver due to delayed results. He differentiates between players like Breanna Stewart, who will eventually succeed, and others whose results might be less consistent. He emphasizes rewarding correct processes and managing expectations about outcome, acknowledging that if a player doesn't buy into the process, they won't play much.
To manage expectations and combat complacency, Auriemma advises balancing showing players how good they are with showing them moments of poor performance. He sees a coach's job as a constant 'tug and pull' to ensure individual and team improvement, emphasizing that individual growth is vital for team success.
He expresses strong dislike for the scenario where a team gets positive results despite an undesired process. He challenges his team to consider if they won because they were 'really good' or 'lucky.' He focuses on ensuring the process is right, connecting it to results, and tailoring his approach to individual players' needs and personalities.
Auriemma concludes by highlighting the importance of self-reflection for coaches. He believes that whatever a coach dislikes about their team often reflects something they dislike about themselves. He critiques coaches' ability to find and fix others' faults while being poor at admitting and fixing their own, often projecting personal issues onto their team.