NCAA Womens Basketball: Final Four National Semifinal-UConn Practice

Legendary UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma signed a five-year contract extension worth $18.7 million, the program announced Tuesday. Auriemma, 70, previously said he had no intention to retire after the 2023-24 season. His new agreement runs through April 2029. Auriemma's deal carries a base salary of $400,000 and is bolstered by "additional compensation for speaking, consulting and media obligations" worth $2.94 million for the upcoming 2024-25 season. That figure will increase by $200,000 per year through the life of the contract. In a statement, Auriemma thanked UConn's leadership for their trust in him and their commitment to women's basketball. "I still find it hard to believe that I've been at UConn for over half my life," Auriemma said. "I feel like there's so much more that can be done, and will be done, and I'm excited to be the one to do it with my staff and my team. I'm probably as excited about these next few years as I've ever been over the last 40." The 2024-25 season will be Auriemma's 40th at UConn, and he will return a core that features National Player of the Year candidate Paige Bueckers and fellow stars KK Arnold and Azzi Fudd. Auriemma owns a 1,213-162 record (88.2 percent) as UConn's coach and has led the Huskies to 23 Final Four trips and 11 national titles. "Geno has been such a mainstay at UConn that it's impossible to overstate his lasting positive influence on our student-athletes, the women's basketball program and Connecticut as a whole," UConn president Radenka Maric said in a statement. "His leadership and nearly 40 years of commitment to our university have brought immeasurable value and name recognition to both UConn and the entire state." --Field Level Media