UConn coach Dan Hurley was viewed almost as a God among men entering the 2024-25 season after he led the Huskies to back-to-back championships and then drew interest from the Los Angeles Lakers. His coaching star had shot to new heights. But last season’s struggles in Storrs, starting with an 0-3 trip to Hawaii in the Maui Invitational in November and then culminating with a second-round NCAA Tournament loss, prompted a moment of reflection for him in the offseason.
Hurley, in an interview with CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, acknowledged Monday on Inside College Basketball that the grind of a grueling season and the challenges last year specifically presented moved him to consider stepping away from his post entirely. Hurley, 52, ultimately chose to remain in his role at UConn, but he candidly admitted the accumulation of pressures and frustrations over recent years caught up with him — pushing him to consider transitioning to TV before dialing back in.
It’s also the second consecutive offseason Hurley, who briefly flirted with leaving UConn for the Lakers last offseason, at least contemplated the idea of parachuting out of his current situation.
“I don’t know how serious I was about [stepping away] in the end,” Hurley said. “I went and saw the Lakers (last offseason) because I thought it was something I thought I needed to consider. Same with the TV thing (this offseason). I had a couple of conversations while I was recovering from the season. But in the end, it took two days to snap out of it and to get locked in on trying to put together a group of people who can have a legitimate chance to go [win another title].”
Being a college coach in this era means juggling the transfer portal, NIL, NBA draft decisions, waivers for potential fifth-year players and recruiting, among other things. It’s a lot. Hurley said all that caught up with him last year, and the frustrations of it played out…
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