UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma Tests Positive for COVID-19
UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and is isolating at his home, the school announced on Monday.
He is not experiencing any symptoms.
News of Auriemma's announcement comes just hours before UConn (24-1) is expected to be named a No. 1 seed in the NCAA women's basketball tournament. The school is scheduled to depart for San Antonio on Tuesday morning.
"I'm feeling well but disappointed that I will be away from the team for the next several days," Auriemma said in a statement. "Fortunately, I have a great coaching staff who will lead us during my absence. This revelation is a reminder that, while there is a light at the end of the tunnel, we are not on the other side of this pandemic yet."
Auriemma received a second dose of the COVID-19 on March 10. He acknowledged in a statement that "for those of us getting two-dose vaccine, that means we're not in the clear after use one-dose."
Deena Casiero, UConn's director of sports medicine and head team physician, said that the school initiated contact tracing protocols upon learning of Auriemma's positive test result and that the school feels "confident that we were able to catch this very early on in the disease process.
"The remainder of Tier I tested negative yesterday and today."
The school said that Auriemma will remain in isolation for 10 days and can rejoin the team on March 24, which would be the final day of possible Round of 32 games.