STORRS, CT — UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma was famously unhappy with the Huskies postgame pizza on Jan. 15.
“The Pizza Capital of the world, my ass,” Auriemma said, adding the meal was basically ‘some red stuff they poured on the box and called it pizza, that must have been delivered hours before at shootaround.’
Not one to settle, Auriemma made sure ‘the standard’ was met after UConn’s 85-47 beatdown of Notre Dame on Monday at Gampel Pavilion.
The 12-time national champion coach came into the postgame press conference with a pizza from Frank Pepe’s, a New Haven standard known for its misshapen, chewy, charred crust. Pepe’s pizzeria has earned numerous ‘Best Pizza’ awards from publications like The Daily Meal, Food & Wine and USA TODAY.
‘Hey, we have high standards here,’ said Auriemma, when asked about how his rant about pizza blew up. ‘We have high standards, and now we get the best,’ he added, motioning to the Pepe’s box.
Pepe’s sent dozens of pies that were enjoyed by the team, coaches, staff, reporters and even folks cleaning Gampel Pavilion postgame.
UConn star Azzi Fudd, seen leaving the arena with some of the Pepe’s leftovers, confirmed the pizza on Thursday was bad. But Pepe’s? Worth taking home.