UConn HC Reveals Why He Turned Down NBA Job
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UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley had plenty of opportunities to leave the NCAA and transition to the top basketball league, the NBA, but turned them down. Now, he's revealed why.
“I mean, how many times in your life will you say, like, I get to coach the Lakers, Celtics, Yankees, Cowboys, Dodgers you know?” Hurley said on ESPN’s radio show, “Unsportsmanlike with Evan, Canty and Michelle”, about his book “Never Stop: Life, Leadership, and What It Takes to Be Great”.
Hurley’s story with basketball has been nothing short of extraordinary. Being brothers with Duke icon Bobby Hurley and father Bob Hurley meant a lot was asked of Dan, yet the 52-year-old coach looks at home on the college campus with the Huskies, where Hurley has marked a 234-165 record since joining the program prior to the 2018-19 season. The former Wagner and Rhode Island coach was so successful that Hurley was heavily linked to the Los Angeles Lakers; however, Hurley eventually ended up staying with the Huskies.
“Like, those. I mean, those, like, big brand sports organizations. You dream of playing for Pat Riley. But I would say, for me, when I got to when I was walking around their [Lakers] locker, you know, for me, just as a coach, like, you know, like, every time I walk into the locker room, my team’s in the locker room, I still get, like, you know, my heart rate, my heart rate goes up, you know, there’s something about getting in front of your team and talking to your team, and whatever narrative or message you have with your team,” said the two-time NCAA National Championship winning coach.
“I just kind of, when I looked around and looked at the name plates in the locker room, you know, and I said to myself, like, I don’t think I could be the type of coach that I want to be. You know, just coaching athletes at this stage of their career, I think, I’m much best suited to drive and push a 19-year-old to get to their max than I am a 33-year-old that probably thinks they know more to me.”
This incoming UConn side has been tasked with huge expectations. With incoming five-star Braylon Mullins, entering the program, the possibilities for Hurley’s 8th year in charge feel as high as they have ever been.
Hurley’s Huskies take to the hardwood on November 3rd, when the Northeastern Conference school New Haven takes to their first Division I matchup since being promoted from Division II in July.
Connor is a recent graduate from the esteemed Sports Media and Analytics program at Virginia Tech. He first found himself writing for recruiting database Rivals.com for just about two years before moving to Virginia Tech On SI. Connor has interviewed some of the highest-ranking members of Virginia Tech Athletics and looks to one day be a full-time writer covering Manchester United, his favorite soccer team.