UConn's Geno Auriemma has officially surpassed Tara VanDerveer to become the winningest coach in NCAA Division I basketball history. Auriemma secured his historic 1,217th win on Wednesday with the Huskies beating Fairleigh Dickinson, 85-41, in Storrs, Conn.
It was a sold-out crowd, and among those in attendance were over 60 of Auriemma's former players, including Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Maya Moore and many more.
Auriemma took over in 1985, when the Huskies had only managed to register one winning season. Since then, UConn women's basketball has become one of the most successful college sports programs ever. Auriemma has guided his teams to 11 national championships, more than any coach in Division I history.
While Auriemma has already had a legendary career, he still has more milestones to achieve as he signed a five-year extension with UConn over the summer.
Auriemma will continue to add to his record and stand atop the wins list for a while. Only three D-I coaches have reached 1,200 wins, and the other two -- VanDerveer and longtime Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski -- are officially retired. No active coach is even close to the 1,200 club.
UConn, currently 4-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation, will return to the court next Monday for a road game against Oregon State.
