The sport of college basketball doesn’t often produce big headlines in June — but we got one Monday, when Dan Hurley rejected an offer to be the Lakers’ next coach and opted to remain at UConn.
It’s the most sensible ending to this public pursuit.
To be clear, I would’ve understood anything Hurley decided to do because he had two big and lucrative opportunities from which to pick — one that would allow him to leave well enough alone and try to win a third national championship with the Huskies next season, another that would reportedly guarantee him $70 million to coach professional basketball’s most glamorous franchise. Either decision, on some level, would’ve led to a dream come true for most. But the reason I believe Hurley turning down LA to remain at UConn is the most sensible ending to this public pursuit is because — and I’m admittedly projecting here, but the reason is because — I really do believe no matter how well or badly things might’ve gone with the Lakers, Hurley would’ve always wondered if he were right to forfeit the opportunity to become the first coach since John Wooden to win three straight national championships in Division I men’s basketball.
After winning the last two NCAA titles, Dan Hurley will try to ‘three-peat’ with UConn.
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There’s more to it, obviously.
(And I’ll get to that.)
But the chance to make real history at a place you love is a hard thing to forgo — especially when you’ve assembled a team that’s listed as the co-favorite (with Kansas) to win the 2025 NCAA Tournament, according to FanDuel. Also hard: leaving the only time zone you’ve ever really known, and the only time zone your wife (Andrea Hurley) has ever really known, to move roughly 3,000 miles away from most of the rest of your family to coach — yes, the…
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