USA – Auriemma confirmed as coach of Olympic champions USA women

STORRS (USA Basketball) – USA Basketball confirmed on Wednesday the appointment of Geno Auriemma as the new coach of their women’s national team.

Auriemma, the long-time coach of the University of Connecticut who only last week guided the Huskies to a sixth NCAA title, was an assistant to Nell Fortner on the USA women’s team that captured the Olympic gold medal in 2000.

"I don’t know if I can adequately describe my feelings and my emotions when I was asked to do this and how I felt ever since," Auriemma said.

"It’s an opportunity that if you’re very fortunate comes once in your life and I never thought I would ever have this opportunity. It’s just overwhelming, the emotions that run through you.

"What an incredible honor it is to be selected."

Auriemma has been at UConn for 24 years.

He is the first college boss to lead the women since 1996, when Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer guided the USA to gold at the Atlanta Olympics.

Only coaches with WNBA experience had been eligible to lead the national team until USA Basketball’s executive committee approved a rule change last month.

The men’s team was led by Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski the previous three years.

The USA finished second to Australia at the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women under coach Anne Donovan but she guided them to the top of the podium in Beijing last summer.

By winning in China, the USA sealed a place in the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women to be played in the Czech Republic.

Auriemma, 55, will work again with two of his former stars at UConn, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird.

Both players, starters on last year’s gold-medal winning team at the Beijing Olympics, are ecstatic for their former college boss.

"It's amazing for coach Auriemma," Taurasi said.

"I know as a player this is a lifetime opportunity to play for the best coach in basketball. It's a dream come true for me, I always knew I would be his player again. I'm very happy.

"Coach has the passion and smarts to be a successful coach. He knows how to make talented players into a dominate unit and challenges players in ways no one can."

Bird also showered praise on her old coach.

"There isn't anyone who I'd rather play for,” Bird said.

"I trust him completely and know he's going to have us playing at our best and keep the USA Basketball tradition going.

"I also know we're going to enjoy the entire experience with him in charge because there is no one better at being serious when it’s time to be serious, but also no one better at having fun when it’s time to have fun.

"I have no doubt that reuniting with him is going to be amazing.”

Bird says Auriemma always knows how to bring the best out in all of his players.

"He has this uncanny ability to know exactly what his team needs and what each individual needs to be a success,” she said.

"He's also very confident in what he does and his teams tend to take on his personality. Not to mention he has a great basketball mind and is always a few steps ahead of everyone in everything.”

Jerry Colangelo, the recently elected chairman of USA Basketball and the mastermind of the men’s team’s success the past few years which culminated with their gold-medal win at the Beijing Games, lavished paid tribute to Auriemma.

"There is no better coach in America than Geno Auriemma and we are delighted to be able to have a coach of his caliber lead our women’s national team program through the 2012 Olympic Games," he said.

"The USA Basketball women’s national team has achieved tremendous success over the years and as winners of the last four Olympic gold medals, the expectations remain very high.

"Geno’s success at UConn, both his win-loss record and the development of his players, speaks for itself and makes him a perfect choice to take hold of the reins."

FIBA