I’ve been a fan of the University of Connecticut Womens
basketball team for about twenty years, partly because one of their star
players in the 90s was the daughter of my college’s men’s basketball center
when I was a student. Over the years, though, I’ve begun focusing as much on
their coach, Geno Auriemma, as on the players.
I’ve heard several people say he would be a great leader of any sort of
group, and could train others in leadership skills.
It’s only
this year, however, that I’ve realized he actually could be a better leader
than the one we’ve got. Here, in no
special order, are some of the reasons why:
1.
“Make America Great Again.” Geno not only made UConn great, he started
from a base near zero. In the 10 seasons
before he arrived, UConn’s record was 92 wins and 163 losses. It took Geno four seasons plus two games to
pass 92 wins.
2.
“So much winning you’ll get tired of
winning.” Under Geno, UConn owns the two
longest winning streaks in basketball history, men’s or womens. His lifetime won-lost record is the best in
men’s or womens basketball, and his 30.6 wins per season is also by far the
best. If he continues to coach for 4
more years, he is likely to end his career as the mens or womens coach with the
most wins of all time.
3.
“I know the best people.” Geno consistently recruits one of the best classes
in womens basketball. Trump recruits
people who’ve never played in the jobs to which he assigns them, and often ones
who don’t like the work their job entails (Education, Energy, EPA, etc.). To date Geno has never picked a player who
didn’t know basketball or didn’t like it.
4.
Clean Professional Record: In 32 seasons, Geno
has never had an NCAA sanction placed on his team. Trump has spent $25 million to settle suits
against his university, and has settled suits against him by golf course members
condo investor and others. He’s been involved in 169 suits with the federal
government alone.
6.
Clean Personal Record: Need I say more?
7.
Team Builder: A remarkable record of choosing
talent, nurturing it, getting the best out of each player, and building
loyalty. Numerous sources, and Geno
himself, credit his 32-year veteran assistant coach Chris Dailey, for a
significant part of the team’s success. Trump as so far fired, been forced to
fire, or lost two campaign managers, one NSA director, and one Cabinet nominee,
in seven months.
8.
Respecter of Women: Geno’s players love him, his assistant
coaches have consistently been women, and eleven assistants or players have
gone on to major coaching jobs. He has
never apparently called any woman pig, dog, slob, bimbo, disgusting animal,
etc. etc. etc.
9.
He knows how hold secret meetings when he’s
strategizing.
Oops, I forgot, he’s an immigrant. So maybe he’d have to settle for a Cabinet
Post:
·
Defense – who’s better at building a strong
defense?
·
Labor – no one gets his players to work harder
·
Interior – all-time record for blocked shots in
a season
·
Energy – have you seen the way those women play?
·
Education – spent over 20 successful years in
public education; teaches his players
to succeed. (Betsy DeVos 0 years)
Immigrants—they get the job done.
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