UConn Huskies
| University of Connecticut | |
| Institution | University of Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Colors | National Flag Blue and White |
| Mascot | Husky |
| Fight Song | "UConn Husky" |
| Athletic Director | Jeff Hathaway |
| Football Stadium | Rentschler Field |
| Basketball Arenas | Gampel Pavilion & Hartford Civic Center |
| Soccer Field | Morrone Stadium |
| Hockey Arena | Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum |
The Connecticut Huskies, also known as the UConn Huskies are the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference for all sports except Men's Ice Hockey (Atlantic Hockey) and Women's Ice Hockey (Hockey East). The school's mascot is also known as the Husky. The major sports at the university are football (played at Rentschler Field) and men's and women's basketball (played on-campus at Gampel Pavilion and off-campus at the Hartford Civic Center), although many of the other sports have large followings and a tradition of success.
Baseball
- Playing Facility: J.O. Christian Field
- Head Coach: Jim Penders
- Most Victories: 39 in 2006
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 15
- College World Series Appearances: 5 1957, 1959, 1965, 1972, 1979
- Last NCAA Appearance: 1994
- Big East Tournament Championships: 2 1990 & 1994
- All-Americans: 14
- Olympians: 2
- Players Drafted Or Signed: 119
Notable players
Men's Basketball
- Playing Facilities: Harry A. Gampel Pavilion & Hartford Civic Center
- Head Coach: Jim Calhoun
- Most Victories: 34 in 1999
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 27
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2006
- National Championships: 2 1999 & 2004
- Final Fours: 2 1999 & 2004
- Big East Regular Season Championships: 10 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006
- Big East Tournament Championships: 6 1990, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004
- NIT Appearances: 11
- NIT Championships: 1 1988
- All-Americans: 13
- Drafted Players: 33
- Players Currently In The NBA: 14
- Basketball Hall Of Famers: 1
History and Coaches
UConn Men's Basketball was once just a reigonal power, winning 18 Yankee Conference championships, struggled in the early days of the Big East, behind traditional powers Georgetown and Syracuse. Jim Calhoun was hired prior to the 1986-87 season, and the Huskies had a losing record. But in 1988, the team showed significant improvement, and made the NIT. UConn went on a run in the tournament, and defeated Ohio State at Madison Square Garden to win the NIT, the school's first national basketball title.
The 1990 "Dream Season" would bring UConn basketball to the national stage. Led by Chris Smith and Tate George, UConn went from unranked in the preseason to winning the Big East Regular Season and Tournament Championships, both for the first time. 1990 also marked the opening of Gampel Pavilion, the program's new on-campus home. The Huskies garnered a #2 seed in the East Reigon, but trailed Clemson 70-69 with 1 second remaining in the Sweet 16. Scott Burrell's full-court pass found Tate George on the far baseline. George spun, fired, and hit a buzzer-beater that is known in Connecticut simply as "The Shot". They would be eliminated on a buzzer-beater 2 days later by Duke, losing in overtime 79-78.
UConn rose as a national program throughout the 1990s, but the Final Four still eluded Calhoun and the program until 1999. A win over Gonzaga sent UConn to Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay for the Final Four. They defeated Ohio State to face off against Duke in the final, where they were 9-point underdogs, despite having been ranked #1 for half of the year. The game was tight throuhout, and when the final buzzer sounded, UConn had defeated Duke 77-74.
The 1999 National Championship would not be the last. In 2004, the Huskies returned to the Final Four. Once again, they faced Duke, this time in the National Semifinal, and used a late run to beat the Blue Devils 79-78. Two nights later, led by Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor, UConn beat Georgia Tech 82-73 to win the championship.
Notable players
- Emeka Okafor
- Ben Gordon
- Richard Hamilton
- Rudy Gay
- Ray Allen
- Clifford Robinson
- Donyell Marshall
- Marcus Williams
- Tate George
- Chris Smith
- Travis Knight
- Khalid El-Amin
- Josh Boone
- Wes Bialosuknia
Notable Games
- February 27, 1954 - Worthy Patterson's buzzer-beater at Holy Cross gave UConn an upset of the then-powerhouse Crusaders, 78-77.
- March 14, 1964 - UConn upsets Princeton and star forward Bill Bradley 52-50 in the Sweet 16 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The victory was sealed when Dom Perno stole the ball from Bradley with 19 seconds to play. Perno would later become UConn's coach.
- February 28, 1970 - With 4 players unavailable, and a share of the Yankee Conference Regular-Season Championship on the line, UConn beats Rhode Island 35-32 at the UConn Field House, in what became known as "The Slowdown Game". Played before the shot clock-era, UConn dribbles endlessly for 38 minutes to make up for the limited roster and save energy.
- March 30, 1988 - UConn defeats Ohio State 72-67 at Madison Square Garden to win the NIT.
- January 27, 1990 - UConn beats #15 St. John's 72-58 in the first game at Gampel Pavilion.
- March 11, 1990 - UConn beats Syracuse 78-75 at Madison Square Garden to win it's first Big East Tournament Championship.
- March 22, 1990 - Tate George hits "The Shot" to beat Clemson 71-70 in the 1990 Sweet 16 at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
- March 29, 1999 - UConn wins it's first National Championship, beating Duke 77-74 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersberg, Florida.
- April 5, 2004 - UConn wins it's second National Championship, beating Georgia Tech 82-73.
Women's Basketball
- Playing Facility: Gampel Pavilion & Hartford Civic Center
- Head Coach: Geno Auriemma
- Most Victories: 39 in 2002
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 18
- Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2006
- National Championships: 5 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004
- Final Fours: 8 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
- Big East Regular Season Championships: 14 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
- Big East Tournament Championships: 13 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006
- All-Americans: 10 (18 appearances)
- National Players Of The Year: 6
- Drafted Players: 17
- Players In The WNBA: 10
- Basketball Hall Of Famers: 1
Notable Players
- Sue Bird
- Diana Taurasi
- Svetlana Abrosimova
- Ann Strother
- Nykesha Sales
- Rebecca Lobo
- Kara Wolters
- Jennifer Rizzotti
Men's Cross Country/Track and Field
- Head Coach: Greg Roy
- Big East Indoor Track and Field Championships: 5 1987, 1990, 2002, 2004, 2006
- Big East Outdoor Track and Field Championships: 2 1982, 2002
- Big East Relay Championships: 2
- All-Americans: 32
Women's Cross Country/Track and Field
- Head Coach: Bill Morgan
- Olympians: 1 (In Women's Bobsled)
- Big East Outdoor Track and Field Championships: 1 1995
- NCAA All-Americans: 9
Field Hockey
- Playing Facility: George J. Sherman Sports Complex
- Head Coach: Nancy Stevens
- Most Victories: 23 in 1999
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 17
- National Championships: 2 1981 & 1985
- Final Fours: 7 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1998, 1999
- Big East Regular Season Championships: 9 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
- Big East Tournament Championships: 8 1992, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005
- All-Americans: 46
- Olympians: 2
Football
- Playing Facility: Rentschler Field
- Head Coach: Randy Edsall
- Most Victories: 11 in 1988, 1993, and 2005
- Bowl Game Appearances: 1
- Last Bowl Game Appearance: 2004 Motor City Bowl
- All-Americans: 9
- Drafted Players: 150
- Players Currently In The NFL: 3
- All-Time NFL Players: 132
History and Coaches
In the late 1990s, UConn decided to go from I-AA, where it had sporatic success, including making the 1998 I-AA playoffs, to I-A. UConn played as a I-A Independant from 1999 to 2003. During this time, the Huskies went from 2-9 to 9-3, and moved from Memorial Stadium to Rentschler Field.
In 2004, the Huskies were admitted as full football members of the Big East, and went 3-3 in conference play, en route to a 7-4 regular-season record. The school made it's first-ever appearance in a bowl game, winning the 2004 Motor City Bowl over Toledo by a score of 39-10.
Current NFL Players
Notable Former Coaches/Assistant Coaches
- Lou Holtz
- Skip Holtz
- Kirk Ferentz - also played as a linebacker at UConn
- Norries Wilson
Men's Golf
- Head Coach: Ron Dubois
- NCAA Appearances: 1 1980
- Big East Championships: 1 1994
Men's Ice Hockey
- Playing Facility: Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum
- Head Coach: Bruce Marshall
- Most Wins at D-I: 20 in 1998-99
- Most Wins Overall: 22 in 1991-92 (UConn played in Division II for men's ice hockey only until 1998-99)
- MAAC Hockey League Championships: 1 2000 (League is now known as Atlantic Hockey)
- All-Americans: 9
Women's Ice Hockey
- Playing Facility: Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum
- Head Coach: Heather Linstad
- Most Wins: 16 in 2004-05
Women's Lacrosse
- Playing Facility: Morrone Stadium/Sherman Sports Complex
- Head Coach: Megan Cersosimo
- Most Wins: 12 in 2005
- ECAC Championships: 1 2006
- All-Americans: 2
Women's Rowing
- Home Surface: Coventry Lake
- Head Coach: Jennifer Sanford
Men's Soccer
- Playing Facility: Joseph J. Morrone Stadium
- Head Coach: Ray Reid
- Most Victories: 21 in 1980
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 26
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2005
- National Championships: 3 1948, [[1981], 2000
- Final Fours: 5 1981, 1982, 1983, 1999, 2000
- All-Americans: 33
- National Players of the Year: 3
- Big East Regular Season Championships: 9 1985, 1987, 1988, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005
- Big East Tournament Championships: 6 1983, 1984, 1989, 1999, 2004, 2005
- MLS Draft Picks: 14
Notable Men's Soccer Players
- Damani Ralph
- Joe Morrone Jr.
- Chris Gbandi
- Dan Donigan
- Julius James
- Bryheem Hancock
- Mpho Moloi
- Len Tsantaris
Women's Soccer
- Playing Facility: Morrone Stadium
- Head Coach: Len Tsantaris
- Most Victories: 23 in 1997
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 24
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2005
- NCAA Championship Game Appearances: 4 1984, 1990, 1997, 2003
- Final Fours: 8 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1994, 1997, 2003
- All-Americans: 24
- Big East Regular Season Championships: 8 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005
- Big East Tournament Championships: 2 2002, 2004
- All-Big East Selections: 59
Notable Women's Soccer Players
- Sara Whalen
- Kristen Graczyk
- Moira and Tara Buckley
Softball
- Playing Facility: Connecticut Softball Stadium
- Head Coach: Karen Mullins
- Most Victories: 45 in 1993
- Women's College World Series Appearances: 1 1993
- Big East Regular Season Championships: 6 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
- Big East Tournament Championships: 7 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2001
- All-Americans: 7
Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving
- Playing Facility: Wolff-Zackin Natatorium
- Head Coach: Bob Goldberg
- Big East Champions: 5
- Olympians: 1
Men's Tennis
- Playing Facility: UConn Tennis Courts
- Head Coach: Glenn Marshall
- Most Victories: 20 in 2000
Women's Tennis
- Playing Facility: UConn Tennis Courts
- Head Coach: Glenn Marshall
- Most Victories: 14 in 2002
Women's Volleyball
- Playing Facility: Gampel Pavilion
- Head Coach: Holly Strauss
- Most Victories: 35 in 1979
- Big East Regular Season Championships: 2 1994 & 1998
Pageantry
- Mascot: Jonathan the Husky Dog
- Marching Band: UConn Marching Band, known as "The Pride of Connecticut."