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Geno Auriemma expressed regret over his tense interaction with Dawn Staley during March Madness, stating he feels 'like a dumbass' for not shaking her hand after their argument. He acknowledged that everyone makes mistakes.
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Geno Auriemma; Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley at March Madness
Credit: C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty;Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty
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 .
Geno Auriemma said he feels 'like a dumbass' for how his interaction with Dawn Staley played out during March Madness.
Auriemma refused to shake Staley's hand after a heated argument at the end of the UConn-South Carolina Final Four game.
Auriemma acknowledged that 'we are all human and we all do dumb s---' while reflecting on his behavior.
Auriemma made his comments to reporters on May 4 during a press conference at the UConn campus.
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Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley on April 3, 2026
Credit: C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty
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.
Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma on April 3, 2026
Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty
He later issued a statement to ESPN, saying, âThereâs no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina. Itâs unlike what I do and what our standard is here at Connecticut.â
âI want to apologize to the staff and the team at South Carolina,â he continued. âIt was uncalled for in how I reacted. The story should be how well South Carolina played, and I donât want my actions to detract from that. Iâve had a great relationship with their staff, and I sincerely want to apologize to them.â
Staley later urged fans to forgive Auriemma. "I spoke with Geno, and I want to be clear â I have a great deal of respect for him and what heâs meant to this game. One moment doesn't define a career, and it doesn't change the impact heâs had on growing womenâs basketball," Staley wrote in a statement on April 7.
"The standard at UConn is what it is because of him, and thatâs something this game has benefited from," the Gamecocks coach continued. "So, Iâm asking everyone to turn the page. Letâs refocus on what matters most â continuing to elevate our game, creating opportunities and pushing it forward."
Read the original article on People