Chris Dailey proving herself to be especially invaluable this season

The associate head coach has filled in for Geno Auriemma three times this season and improved her overall record to 16-0.

Jan 05, 2023

Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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CD proving herself to be especially invaluable this season

As UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey spoke to the media following UConn’s 80-47 win over Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Aaliyah Edwards butted in and grabbed the microphone.

“I think we also need to give props to CD for 16-0,” she said via SNY as Dailey playfully tried to push her away. “Undefeated. Undefeated record. Hype her up.”

While Edwards wanted the acting head coach to get all the credit, Dailey did her best to pass it off to everyone else — Geno Auriemma for having the system already in place, Jamelle Elliott and Morgan Valley for helping with the coaching load and the players for executing. But regardless, she improved to 16-0 in her career while in charge after Auriemma felt unwell pregame.

Dailey’s now taken over the team in each of the last five seasons and has racked up over half her wins (nine of 16) in that span. As much as she tries to deflect credit, she’s proven herself to be even more invaluable over the last three seasons than she already was.

In 2021, Dailey steadied a team entering the NCAA Tournament bubble in San Antonio for the first two games after Auriemma tested positive for Covid-19. When she stepped in each of the last two seasons, the coach provided consistency at the top for squads that had been constantly devastated by injuries. While there are naturally differences when Auriemma is coaching compared to Dailey, her presence helps the team maintain business as usual.

While some of Dailey’s 16 wins came against overmatched teams — like Tuesday night at Butler or the Wichita State-Tulsa road trip back in 2019 — she’s also earned important victories. Just earlier this year, UConn needed all 40 minutes to beat Florida State and avoid back-to-back losses for the first time in 29 years after the Seminoles pulled within four points with 3:19 left.

Last season, the Huskies trailed by as many as 12 at Creighton but stormed back to win comfortably, 76-56. In 2021, Dailey led UConn to the Sweet Sixteen with victories over High Point and Syracuse.

She’s also guided the Huskies to a pair of Big East Tournament titles. UConn’s first in 1989 came with Dailey at the helm after Auriemma was suspended for a scheduling violation, beating Georgetown, Boston College and Providence by double-digits to take the trophy. In 1997, Auriemma left the team following the death of his father and Dailey coached UConn to three comfortable wins against Villanova, Miami and Notre Dame.

Dailey has coached alongside Auriemma during his entire tenure in Storrs and is a major reason for the program’s success. The longtime assistant has proven her value many times over and her cameos as acting head coach over the last few seasons have only reinforced how invaluable she is for the Huskies.