Connecticut Huskies women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma. (Photo via UConn Athletics)

By Rebecca Harris | @MsRebeccaHarris

Sports Capital Journalism Program

INDIANAPOLIS — Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma brought levity and emotion to his remarks after he received the Associated Press Coach of the Year award for the eighth time, and the first since 2011.

“I want to be sure my name’s there,” he said to laughs as he looked at the front of the award.

With his team sitting in the front row of the room, Auriemma reflected on the honor and his longstanding career.

“When you read off all the statistics it’s hard to think about anything other than the great players we’ve had in the last 30 years,” he said. “You look back and you just are amazed at what some people have been able to accomplish.”

He started to tear up as he talked about influences in his life. “People talk about how much we impact other people, but you really do start to get a true sense of how much people have had an influence on you from the very beginning,” he said pausing for a long time.

“I usually don’t get like this. I don’t know what’s going on,” he said. “For some reason this week has been really different for me.”

Connecticut Huskies women’s basketball senior forward Breanna Stewart. (Photo via UConn Athletics)

The emotion continued a few minutes later when senior Breanna Stewart was named the AP Player of the Year for the third time.

The only Division I women’s player with 400 assists and 400 blocked shots, and with 149 wins to her name, Stewart earned the first-ever unanimous vote in the award’s history.

Stewart got a bear hug from her coach when she reached the podium to accept her award.

“It’s kind of crazy when you hear that,” Stewart said of her third award.

She said that the honor is nice but she’s trying to focus on what’s most important right now.

“I’m looking forward to having this weekend with this team and doing something that’s special,” she said.

Auriemma said his time with this team and with Stewart is something he can never take for granted. He referenced former AP Player of the Year Ralph Sampson and his impact on Virginia’s team when explaining her impact and domination now with UConn.

“I witnessed it and now I’m experiencing it with Stewie,” he said.

Auriemma, Stewart and the rest of the UConn team face Oregon State tomorrow in an NCAA Women’s Final Four semifinal.