Auriemma Says He Would Give Up Base Salary for the Budget

STORRS, CT — University of Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma on Friday said he would give up his salary in response to budgetary criticism over salaries at the school, a source close the the school confirmed.

Auriemma first mentioned it to Hartford Courant columnist Jeff Jacobs Friday. When asked of the hall of fame coach were serious, a source at UConn said, "yes." The coach draws $2.4 million from the state's general fund but makes up for it in endorsements and other business interests, the source said.

He told Jacobs that he has offered to relinquish that base salary after seeing comments from a lawmaker who justified cuts by saying folks at UConn make a lot of money.

Auriemma already this week did the voiceover for a promotional video denouncing budget cuts to UConn.

"We're not going to apologize for being great," he said in his matter-of-fact news conference tone. used often after and before games.

UConn President Susan Herbst on Saturday called the budget "appalling" after it was passed and called on Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to stay with a predicted veto.

The state budget is $40.7 billion over two years

UConn officials said the fiscal year 2018 budget has a bottom line of $388,561,273 for the university, but the new state budget trims $75,895,775 off that, or 20 percent. UConn Health would lose $48,743,108, or 21 percent with the new budget. With the same bottom lines the following year, the reductions would be 28 and 32 percent, respectively, UConn officials said.

In all, the state budget slashes $308,827,301 from UConn over two years, school officials said.

Photo Credit: UConn