UConn Women’s Basketball: Geno Auriemma undergoes surgical procedure, out for Sunday

UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma will undergo a surgical procedure to “alleviate symptoms caused by diverticulitis,” the school announced on Tuesday. He’s expected to have a short stay in the hospital and should have a quick recovery.

Diverticulitis the inflammation/infection of pouches that can form in the digestive tract, per WebMD. As of now, Auriemma’s status for the team’s next game is questionable, according to the Manchester JI’s Carl Adamec.

If Auriemma isn’t cleared to coach, associate head coach Chris Dailey will take over head coaching duties. She is 9-0 all-time as interim head coach for the Huskies, including two wins last season at Tulsa and Wichita State when Auriemma was sidelined with an illness.

Dailey coached the team for four games and won the Big East Tournament in 1989 after Auriemma was suspended due to a scheduling error that put UConn over the NCAA’s allowed limit of games. In 1997, Dailey took over during the Big East Tournament once again after the death of Auriemma’s father (per Adamec).

A long layoff in UConn’s schedule works in the coach’s favor as the Huskies don’t return to action until Sunday at Mohegan Sun against Oklahoma.

UPDATE

The school announced on Thursday that Auriemma’s procedure was successful and he will spend the next 2-3 days in the hospital recovering before heading home. He will not coach the game on Sunday, instead handing duties to Dailey.