UConn Huskies men's head coach Dan Hurley has rushed to the defense of his coworker, Geno Auriemma.
Auriemma got into a public spat with South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley. The two prominent women's basketball coaches were very heated on the sideline late in South Carolina's win. It's unclear what exactly sparked the public feud, though it spewed into the game.
Following UConn's win over Illinois in the Men's Final Four, Hurley came to Auriemma's defense.
"Geno’s helped me so much. The way he handled the whole thing, he’s such a stand-up guy with the statement, and he’s one of the classiest people," Hurley said postgame.
"If anyone should get the benefit of the doubt, in the world of sports, it's Geno Auriemma. He’s truly one of the most authentic, genuine, great people you’ll ever meet in your life."
Auriemma seemed to take issue with Staley's lack of a handshake before the game.
"For 41 years, I’ve been coaching, 25 Final Fours," Geno said Friday night about why he was upset. "The protocol is before the game, you meet at half-court. Two coaches meet at half court, and they shake hands, correct? You ever see it? They announce it on loudspeaker. I waited there for like 3 minutes. So, it is what it is."
Auriemma ended up releasing an apology
Auriemma apologized, though he didn't include Staley's name in his statement.
"There's no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina," Auriemma said in a statement issued through the school. "It's unlike what I do and what our standard is here at Connecticut. I want to apologize to the staff and the team at South Carolina. It was uncalled for in how I reacted. The story should be how well South Carolina played, and I don't want my actions to detract from that. I've had a great relationship with their staff, and I sincerely want to apologize to them."
