While Geno hilariously mocked the stars, the ecstasy was quite evident in his words. The day was already a celebration of both Auriemma and his associate coach, Chris Dailey, who have spent 40 years together leading the program. “As long as I’m here and I walk in this building and I see the players here and I see the people that work in my little world and how we all kind of motivate each other,” shared Geno after the game. The school broke out several unique ways to celebrate the occasion.

Geno’s unforgettable moments before retiring.

One of the highlights was a petting zoo with foals and a special ice cream flavor called Legend Berry Legacy. In fact, an old goat was even brought onto the court to celebrate Geno’s big win. Not only that, UConn presented the head coach with a special street sign commemorating his milestone. To make the celebration even more special, a renowned sports brand stepped in.

According to a post by Maggie Vanoni on X, Nike presented both Geno and his associate coach with a commemorative ladder. What better tribute than that? Having all of his 11 championship wins, 23 Final Four appearances, and six perfect seasons etched into a ladder. But this isn’t the first time Nike has come up with an innovative way to honor the legend.

Nearly eight years ago, when Geno and the Huskies won their 11th championship title, Nike co-founder Phil Knight penned a letter to the head coach. While his heartfelt words were a tribute in themselves, Nike went even further by releasing a special edition T-shirt. They also offered exclusive KD 8 sneakers in white, gray, navy, and red colors with a golden Swoosh, and “National Champs” embroidered on the inner tongue of the shoes. Overall, Geno has had every bit of enjoyment before he retires.