Auriemma says he's learned a lesson
After a recent postgame exchange with Syracuse Orange forward Nicole Michael that eventually ended with the player trying to trip him, Connecticut Huskies coach Geno Auriemma says he's learned a lesson -- no more attempts to "coach" the opponent.
After initially downplaying the incident, saying he either stepped on someone's foot or stumbled over his own feet following UConn's 107-53 victory on Jan. 17, Auriemma said Michael indeed tried to trip him.
"Yeah, she did," Auriemma said during a taped pregame show last weekend. "But here's the issue -- I was wrong for trying to coach somebody else's player. I was. I was walking through the line and [Michael], I thought, was totally out of line. I made a mistake of saying 'You should have a better attitude when you shake hands with adults.' That's exactly what I said. And then they all lost their minds. And then she tried to trip me.
Auriemma had words with Michael in the handshake line after the game and was pulled away from the junior forward by an assistant coach. When he went back through the line to leave the court, Michael appeared to step in his direction, and he tripped over her foot. He was then led away by his players.
"It's over, it's done. Kids do dumb stuff. I will never ever, ever ... I might not even go through the line any more," he said. "It's not worth it. Or if I do, I'm not going to say boo. I'm not going to try coach anybody else's players."
After the game, Auriemma told reporters, "Kids do funny things when they lose. They were [mad] they lost by 50. They didn't want to have any part of shaking hands. None. Zero ... I hope my players don't do that."
The Big East last week decided not to take any action. Commissioner Michael Tranghese issued a statement last Tuesday saying both school's athletic directors have assured him there will be no repeat of the incident, and both are committed to the league's principles of sportsmanship.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
