TAMPA, Fla. — Cori Close had a unique opportunity after her first season leading UCLA women's basketball.
The Bruins didn't make the NCAA Tournament after that 2011-12 season, and she decided to make use of her extra offseason time. She called former Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw and UConn coach Geno Auriemma, asking if she could come watch practice to learn from them.
Both McGraw and Auriemma obliged, and Close spent the first two rounds watching Notre Dame prepare for March Madness. Then she went to Storrs, Connecticut to watch Auriemma work.
"It was just tremendous," Close said Thursday during a media day ahead of the women's NCAA Tournament Final Four. "And the next year, in October, I brought my entire staff out to watch (Auriemma's) practice. He's a master teacher ... When people who have set the standard of the game are willing to reach back and teach somebody else, it goes a long way."
It was a formative experience for Close as she began to build a program in Los Angeles. The next season, UCLA went 26-8 and made it to the NCAA Tournament second round. Six Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight later, Close will lead No. 1 seed UCLA (34-2) against the No. 2 seed Huskies (35-3) in the Final Four at Amalie Arena on Friday (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
"If I had known, I wouldn't have let her in," Auriemma joked.
Auriemma remembers when he was a young coach, especially at the high school level, he always admired the coaches who were open and willing to share their ideas.
Auriemma, now in his 40th season with UConn said he's never been one to want to hide anything in the name of competitive advantage. Auriemma even had three players from rival Tennessee come watch for practice for a few days. Basketball is basketball, Auriemma said, and he believes it's part of his job to share amongst coaches if they "have anything that's worth it."
"You can't worry about anything else," Auriemma said. "Our relationship, and through USA Basketball, Cori and I got to know each other a little bit. And we both share a passion for wines. Her energy and all that she has, that she brings is just infectious. I'm glad when coaches have success. That's what we're here for."
Friday's matchup is an interesting dynamic. Close is going up against someone who mentored her and shared invaluable knowledge that helped her build the top program in the country this season. Close led UCLA to its first Final Four appearance ever, and now she's tasked with taking down a program that's making its 24th appearance, which is an NCAA record. The Huskies are 12-11 all time in Final Four games.
On paper, UConn is the underdog ...
