Geno knows that there hasn't been much to limit his success since Pat's cognitive decline began. He also realizes that the right hire at Tennessee can throw a bigger obstacle in his path than any other 5 schools combined.
If I'm Geno and I think there's a chance Jeff Walz winds up in Knoxville, I'm quaking in my boots.
WBB was already slowly moving into an age of parity, but I think that conference re-alignment signaled the beginning of the end of UConn's dynasty. When the music stopped, and UConn was left without a chair in a Power 5 league (and the big bucks that come with it), it made them vulnerable. This was initially offset by the fact that UT, the one program capable of challenging their dominance on a year-in year-out basis, was going through hard times. But then other programs like SC and MSU started to rise. Now, if UT gets good again, it could mean big trouble for Geno. He's not stupid, he knows this.