"Common sense would be to go out right now": Geno Auriemma addresses retirement remarks following 12th national championship with UConn

UConn coach Geno Auriemma is coming off his 12th national championship after his team beat South Carolina in the championship game last month. Auriemma, who turned 71 in March, once again squashed speculations that he might be retiring anytime soon.

He became the oldest coach to get to the summit of college basketbal, delivering the Huskies their first national championship since 2016.

On Tuesday morning, Auriemma, the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history, joined the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange, where he rang the opening bell.

Following the ceremony, Geno Auriemma shared his thoughts with NYSE TV about winning the national title and talked about his Huskies future. He explained what has kept him going and whether another national championship motivates him after four decades on the sidelines.

"Common sense would be to go out right now, you know, go out on top," Auriemma replied (at 3:42). "They said, I'm the oldest coach ever to win a national championship in college, and because everybody else had the good sense to get out. So maybe that's a sign that.

"But as long as I'm around these kids, I enjoy being around them. It keeps you young, keeps you motivated, keeps you fresh. So when that's not there anymore, then it's time to go. But right now, I'm still enjoying it."

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Geno Auriemma acknowledges that time will determine when to step away from coaching

It's not the first time Geno Auriemma has faced questions about his retirement, something he has faced a lot these days. While he understands why it's continuously asked, the Hall of Fame coach still has the passion to keep coaching at a high level.

Following their championship win in April, their star player Paige Bueckers left UConn to enter the WNBA draft. Fans speculated if Auriemma would step down after Bueckers' exit.

"At some point, it's going to be 'I wish I could stay longer, but I'm just not good enough to coach this team anymore and they deserve better,'" he said during his appearance on SportsCenter. "And when that time comes, I hope I have the sense to step away and leave it in the hands of someone who's better equipped at that time to do it."

The upcoming season will be Auriemma's 42nd at Connecticut.