Future Hall of Famer, long-time UConn coach Geno Auriemma reacts to DePaul's Doug Bruno stepping down

On Friday, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma saw a friend of his in the hallways in Spokane, Washington.

Auriemma spoke to his friend a bit, and there was an elephant in the room. 

That friend was Doug Bruno, the long-time DePaul women's head coach who stepped down as coach on Friday. Bruno had coached DePaul basketball for 38 years.

Bruno and Auriemma coached against each other and with each other, and have both presided over the growth of women's basketball. Auriemma reacted to his friend's life news Friday.

"There haven’t been a lot of people in the history of women’s basketball that have given as much to the game as he has," Auriemma said. "He’s dedicated his life pretty much to women’s basketball, and all of it in Chicago, where he grew up." 

Auriemma is a longtime friend of Bruno's.

On the court, Bruno's Blue Demons never beat Auriemma's Huskies. However, Auriemma's Huskies have been the gold standard of the sport for decades.

Auriemma thought so highly of his friend, he had Bruno work with him on his USA Basketball Olympic staff in 2012 and 2016. Auriemma knows that Bruno's impact has more of an impact locally.

"He’s an institution," Auriemma said. "I don’t think there’s a kid in the Midwest — name all the states, I don’t care, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois — they know someone or they themselves have been to Doug Bruno’s basketball camp over the years."

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Bruno suffered a stroke before the start of the women's basketball season at his home.

That forced him to miss the entire season, and was the reason he stepped away from coaching even if he didn't want to. Now, DePaul needs to replace an icon.

"Above all, Doug’s greatest contribution has been his relentless commitment to developing both the character and the careers of the young women who passed through our program," DePaul Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy said in a statement. "His influence will continue to resonate for years to come, and we are deeply grateful that he will remain a part of the DePaul family in his new role, continuing his legacy of mentorship and service to our community."

Bruno leaves DePaul with a 786-402 overall record. That's 14th all-time among women's basketball coaches. 

Auriemma leads that list with 1,217 wins. He still understood the sadness that comes with his good friend leaving the profession they've shared for decades. 

"It’s sad for me personally because he’s a great friend – and we’ve been through a lot together – and sad for women’s basketball that a lifelong supporter of the game isn’t going to be coaching," Auriemma said. "But he’ll still be a supporter of the game. Happy for Patty, his wife, and his kids and grandkids because they’ll get to see more of him."