TicketsJan. 31, 2011
By Garrett Sabelhaus
GoBEARCATS.com
Jamelle Elliott spent 16 years at the University of Connecticut both as a player and coach, winning six national championships during that span.
It's no wonder that in her second year as head coach at the University of Cincinnati it still feels odd to see her former mentor, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, on the other end of the floor as they coach against each other.
Saturday's 80-46 handling of the Bearcats moved the No. 2 Huskies to 20-1 after their Division I record 90-game win streak was snapped earlier in the season.
UConn has not lost a BIG EAST game in three years dating back to 2008.
It was the second time Elliott squared off as a head coach with Auriemma; the first at home in Fifth Third Arena. She wants one day to be able to have the success UConn has had at Cincinnati.
"I'm going to be honest with you, being part of the Connecticut team is like a fairytale," Elliott said. "Everything goes right, you got 10,000 people cheering for you, a national championship is expected, you're not expected to lose a game and I was a part of that for a long time."
Auriemma says it's still odd seeing Jamelle on the other team but firmly believes his former pupil will have that success and sees a day when the tables may be turned.
"They will. There's no doubt in my mind they will. Just right now she's got a very difficult task," Auriemma said. "Maybe there will be a time when we come in here and they have the expectation of winning. I think until that time, it'll be very, very difficult."
The two coaches were able to catch up while the Huskies were in town over dinner the night prior to the game. Elliott says she didn't want to talk about the old days of Connecticut basketball or basketball at all. The dinner was just about catching up with old friends.
Aside from a coach, Elliott has to coach against players for four more years that she once coached or recruited like Stefanie Dolson who scored nine points for the Huskies in the win.
Even decorated player of the year candidate Maya Moore, who scored 23 in the win, fondly remembers her first two years at UConn when Elliott was an assistant working with the post players.
"Just her fire and her passion and just that sense of ownership that she took for us and it made us want to take ownership of our paint," Moore said. "The mindset, I think more than anything, is what she instills in the players. You can see it in her players. They play hard, they're aggressive, and they don't hang their heads."
But even Moore and Auriemma know that just playing hard won't make Elliott happy because she takes the game and losing so personally.
The Bearcats have now lost six straight heading into a road game against Pittsburgh Tuesday. Auriemma just hopes Elliott can take the growing pains of being a young coach and things will eventually turn to her favor.
"The only thing that I think would make her struggle is if it becomes too much of a burden to handle because she just takes it so seriously," Auriemma said. "There are a lot of people who went out on a limb to hire her and she feels incredibly responsible and indebted to those people. She's not used to anything other than winning so it's difficult."