STORRS, Conn. — History was made in Storrs Wednesday evening, as UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma won his 1,217th game, setting the all-time wins record for men’s and women’s Division I college basketball.
Auriemma has officially passed recently retired Stanford women's basketball head coach Tara Ann VanDerveer.
On a night where Auriemma was the center of attention, the game itself took a backseat, as the Huskies easily defeated Fairleigh Dickinson by a score of 85-41.
UConn was led by its two most consistent players to start the season, senior guard Paige Bueckers and freshman forward Sarah Strong. On the night, Bueckers scored 16 points, while Strong contributed 20, a game high.
Auriemma, who arrived on a much different Storrs campus in the fall of 1985, ascended to the top of the sport’s mountaintop. After the program reached its first Final Four in 1991, Auriemma never looked back.
While coaching some of the greatest women’s basketball players of all-time, Auriemma has led UConn to 11 national championships and 23 Final Fours, the most in the history of Division I college basketball.
Now, he also has the most wins in the history of the sport, including both men and women.
The celebration in Storrs began before the game Wednesday night, as fans packed Gampel Pavilion early for a ceremony honoring Auriemma and associate head coach Chris Dailey, both who are in their 40th season with the program.
ESPN reports that 63 former Huskies made their way to Storrs to watch Auriemma make history. From recent graduate Aaliyah Edwards to legends such as Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore, the star power in the gym was palpable.
Auriemma is the only active Division I basketball coach with more than 850 victories. Former Army and Duke men's basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski holds the men's record with 1,202.
RELATED: Geno Auriemma and Chris Dailey on the cusp of an NCAA record for victories at storied UConn
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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