Geno Auriemma Says He Feels 'Like a Dumbass' for How March Madness Interaction with Dawn Staley 'Played Out'

"I brought the criticism on myself, I didn't bring the commotion that came after that on myself," Auriemma said on Monday, May 4

NEED TO KNOW

• UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma said he feels “like a dumbass” for how the tense March Madness interaction with Dawn Staley played out last month
• The longtime coach had refused to shake Staley’s hand after getting into a screaming match at the end of the UConn-South Carolina Final Four game
• Auriemma said, “We are all human and we all do dumb s—” while speaking to reporters on Monday, May 4 on the UConn campus

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said he feels like "a dumbass" for how he behaved in a tense moment with Dawn Staley during March Madness.

Auriemma, 72, addressed the media on Monday, May 4, for the first time since he faced backlash for refusing to shake Staley's hand after a screaming match in the Huskies' loss to Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks in the Final Four. Auriemma apologized for his behavior in a statement to ESPN shortly after the moment went viral, but it wasn't until Monday that the Huskies head coach reflected on the incident while speaking to reporters.

"You do things in the spur of the moment sometimes, but they usually come from things that have been building up for some time," Auriemma said while speaking to media at the Werth Champions Center on UConn's campus, according to USA Today.

Auriemma said he regretted the interaction almost as soon as it happened.

"When I walked into the locker room afterward," he said, per ESPN, "you're just shaking your head going, five more seconds, you couldn't keep it in for five more seconds?"

Auriemma added, "I just feel like a dumbass for the way it played out. We are all human and we all do dumb s—." The Huskies coach told reporters he "didn't see a lot of" the online reaction to the moment, but said, "[the fallout] is to be expected."

"Maybe some of it was warranted and some of it was people lying in the weeds waiting for that moment," he continued. "It doesn't matter what you've done for the game, it's what you just did. Unfortunately, that's the world we live in today and it usually is one-sided."

Auriemma added, "I brought the criticism on myself, I didn't bring the commotion that came after that on myself."

Staley and Auriemma shared the heated moment in the seconds before South Carolina took home a 62-48 victory against the Huskies on April 3. Auriemma was caught on camera getting into an argument with Staley, leading to referees blowing whistles before the altercation progressed to the point that Auriemma needed to be held back as assistants attempted to break it up, ultimately delaying the last play of the game.

After the game, Auriemma refused to shake Staley's hand.

He later issued a statement to ESPN, saying, “There’s no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina. 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,” he continued. “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.”

Staley later urged fans to forgive Auriemma. "I spoke with Geno, and I want to be clear — I have a great deal of respect for him and what he’s meant to this game. One moment doesn't define a career, and it doesn't change the impact he’s had on growing women’s basketball," Staley wrote in a statement on April 7.

"The standard at UConn is what it is because of him, and that’s something this game has benefited from," the Gamecocks coach continued. "So, I’m asking everyone to turn the page. Let’s refocus on what matters most — continuing to elevate our game, creating opportunities and pushing it forward."

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