UConn HC Reflects on Season That Almost Caused Retirement
Change is inevitable in college basketball. The game moves faster, the pressure hits harder, and the expectations never stop piling up. Between the transfer portal chaos and the constant grind of competition, even the most seasoned coaches like Jay Wright and Tony Bennett are walking away from the game they love.
And in the middle of it all, the UConn Huskies' legendary frontman Dan Hurley, the same man who rebuilt a dynasty, came dangerously close to stepping away himself. It’s almost surreal to think that the same coach who ruled March Madness just two years ago found himself questioning his love for the game.
Last year, UConn was coming off its back-to-back national titles, which ideally would mean momentum was on the Huskies' side. Hurley walked into Madison Square Garden to chase a third straight championship. UConn opened the year ranked No. 3 in the AP poll, and Hurley wore his confidence like armor: but then the armor cracked.
UConn stumbled through what Hurley now calls the “most challenging” season of his career. The Huskies ended the season with a 24-11 finish with no Sweet 16 and plenty of chaos in between. For the first time in years, the 52-year-old coach admitted he’d hit a wall.
“Having a year like we just had, which was very challenging, it took me to a point where I did think about taking a gap year or being done,” Hurley told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander. “I had a sh*t year. I didn’t coach my best, I didn’t lead my best. I didn’t put together a group that could compete for the things we wanted to compete for.”
Hurley, who built his career on intensity and never backing down, was forced to reflect. Last season, unfortunately, his temper became a headline, his composure a casualty. Still, Hurley didn’t walk away.
Dan Hurley Pledges Better Leadership for UConn Huskies
If Hurley’s last season was a storm, this one’s his reset. “Yeah, I think I'm going to be a better leader for my team,” Hurley said. “And if I can avoid the fan stuff at the end… that’s what I would like.” While it might sound simple, it is a monumental shift for Hurley.
The same coach who once shouted at officials until his face turned red now admits he needs to “find something that can zen you and focus you in.”He’s not pretending to have it figured out, either. “Do I think I’m going to be able to do it? I don’t know,” he added. “But I’ve done a lot of work on myself this offseason to prepare for that.” It’s no secret why that self-reflection was necessary.
Hurley’s sideline meltdowns made more headlines than the team’s wins last season. Take the Maui Invitational, where the No. 2 Huskies went 0-3. In the loss to Memphis, Hurley erupted over a disputed call in overtime, berating officials loudly and pacing beyond the coaching box.
.@UConnMBB HC Dan Hurley tells @MattNorlander he's working on being a better leader for his team this year. pic.twitter.com/ePjmQgIwEt
— Eye On College Basketball Podcast (@EyeOnCBBPodcast) October 21, 2025
Then, in the following game against Colorado, a questionable over-the-back call sent him into another tirade. He was seen yelling and gesturing at the refs in full view of fans and cameras. To make things worse, Hurley repeatedly violated bench decorum during the tournament, storming past his players and arguing with anyone in his path.
Technically, many of his outbursts could have earned multiple Class B technicals per game, and at one point, he even had to be physically restrained to prevent an ejection. Hurley knows how it all went down. And now, he’s trying to change the story.
However, Hurley is not doing it by going soft. That has never been his style; instead, he will be smarter. “When a fan’s yelling at you in the tunnel, even as obscene, nasty, and personal as it is, just go to the locker room, man,” he said. “Just get to the locker room.”
So, this season, Hurley will still be pacing the sidelines, still intense, but a little more self-aware.
The Huskies will be getting on the court for another exhibition match on October 28 against Michigan State. And if the new version of Dan Hurley truly shows up at the next game, the rest of college basketball better be ready.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.