Auriemma Rips Fans Due To Poor Attendance

Sometimes winning isn't a always a good thing, at least according to the University of Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma.

Disappointed with a poor fan turnout for the NCAA tournament hosted by the Huskies at Gampel Pavilion, Auriemma joked that maybe UConn fans would show up if the team won more games (the Huskies have lost one game in the past three seasons), according to ESPN.com.

"We have a real spoiled group of fans who assume we are going to win," he said.

Auriemma added that he didn't know what the team could do to draw in more fans, since winning didn't seem to work.

"Maybe we should offer free parking, more giveaways," he said. "We should let some of the fans coach the team, maybe a guest coach every quarter."

Fewer than 6,000 fans showed up to the Huskies' second-round victory over Purdue on Tuesday. Gampel Pavilion holds a 10,000-plus capacity.

Because of this, rumors have surfaced that Auriemma spoke with Connecticut athletic director Jeff Hathaway asking that the school not bid to host the tournament for the next five years.

According to Pat McKenna, the team's spokesman, Auriemma was serious about not hosting the tournament, but has yet to bring it up with the athletic director.