DePaul's Bruno, UConn's Auriemma share rare bond in coaching world

Coach.

That's what Geno Auriemma, the head women's basketball coach at Connecticut, does.

But that's not the only thing he is.

Nor is it his name.

And he appreciates the people closest in his life who recognize that.

This is why Auriemma, who was in Chicago on Monday when his No. 2-ranked Huskies took on No. 16 DePaul at Wintrust Arena, and DePaul coach Doug Bruno are such good friends, and have been for nearly 30 years.

They talk about much more than just basketball. And they call each other by their first names, a rarity in the business, believe it or not.

"You don't meet a lot of people in coaching that want to be regular, normal people," Auriemma said after his team secured an 84-74 win on Monday, surviving a furious second-half rally by the Blue Demons.

"You walk by people and they go, 'Hi coach,' and you've known the guy 20 years and it's 'Hi coach,' like that's my name ...'Coach.' They talk like, 'Ya, he beat me last year.' They have the perspective (on friendship and coaching) all completely wrong.

"Doug and I, when we met, there was a relationship based on all the other things we enjoy about each other's company and basketball just happens to be one of those things."

Both Auriemma and Bruno suggest that deep friendships between coaches in collegiate sports are tough to start, and even tougher to sustain.

"When they say you can count your friends on one hand, it's so, so true," Bruno said. "The place where you get as close as we (Bruno and Auriemma) are just doesn't happen because of competition.

"Basically, competition is what doesn't allow coaches to be friends, because you've got to beat each other. There is a maturity of competitiveness here (between Bruno and Auriemma), that win, lose or draw, we appreciate what we are outside of basketball. That's what friends are about. It's not just about the basketball or the fluff stuff. There's a lot of things. We both have a lot of interests outside of basketball. He's a well-read guy, I've read quite a bit myself. We don't just talk about basketball."

Bruno and Auriemma talk current events and family and about their love of a good steak. Auriemma and his wife Kathy have hosted Bruno and his wife Patty at their home in Italy.

"He's never stayed at my house in Chicago, because we still live in a 2-flat," Bruno said with a laugh. "He's welcome, but I don't think he wants to sleep in a bunk bed."

Auriemma is happy to just meet up with his best friend for a dinner at good Chicago restaurant, which will be happening much more often as of next year.

Connecticut is moving back into the Big East Conference for the 2020-21 season, which means that Auriemma and Bruno will once again be playing each other once in Chicago and once in Connecticut each year, and possibly a third time in the Big East tournament.

Auriemma is now 17-0 against Bruno, but he appreciates Bruno's up-tempo style and his innovative mind for the game, which is why he had Bruno on his staff when he was the head coach of the U.S. Olympic women's basketball team.

"The thing about Doug is he coaches out of a passion for the game. He loves basketball, he loves people, he loves teaching and it all comes across," Auriemma said. "Some people coach, and that's their job. That's their occupation. For Doug, it's a life thing for him. He's a real thinker and he's always thinking about what's going to be important in the game of basketball down the road. He's usually right there with it and that's why his teams play a really exciting style.

"I love having (DePaul) on the schedule and I hope however long he's coaching at DePaul and I'm coaching at UConn that we play each other three times a year. That would be fun."

Figuring out a way to defeat Connecticut, an 11-time national champion under Auriemma, isn't fun, for any coach.

But Bruno, who has guided DePaul to five Big East titles over the last six years while the Huskies have been competing in the American Athletic Conference, welcomes the challenge and welcomes his best friend back to the league with open arms.

"I'm excited to have UConn back in (the Big East)," Bruno said. "I'm excited to play the best program in the history of the game, men or women."

Follow Patricia on Twitter: @babcockmcgraw