"Coach Hurley can coach his butt off lol" - Magic Johnson thrilled over Lakers' rumored interest in hiring Dan Hurley
As the LA Lakers take their search for the next head coach to the last stage, Dan Hurley has come out as the new favorite to land the job. NBA legend and former Laker Magic Johnson was thrilled to hear that the team was considering hiring the NCAA champion coach of UConn Huskies.
Hurley’s name has come to the forefront after it was earlier reported that JJ Redick might have his job in hand as the team was wrapping up the selection process.
On X [formerly Twitter], Johnson said that he heard the great news and was excited about the team if they hire Hurley.
“I heard the great news that Lakers Owner Jeanie Buss and GM/VP of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka have had conversations with back-to-back NCAA champion and current UCONN Head Coach, Dan Hurley, about becoming the next Lakers Head Coach!” Magic Johnson wrote.
“I'm so excited and thrilled! This would be a game changer for the Lakers organization, LeBron, AD, the rest of the Laker players, Laker Nation and the NBA! Coach Hurley can coach his butt off lol,” Johnson added.
Hurley has been highly successful as a college basketball coach and won two NCAA titles. He has been highly successful with the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team in 2018. Moreover, it is not just Magic Johnson who has immense respect for Hurley’s impressive college coaching career.
Hurley also has a relationship of mutual respect with LeBron James. The four-time NBA champion has already spoken about his immense respect for Hurley on the “Mind The Game” podcast in April this year.
NBA insider says Dan Hurley has always been at the front of Lakers coaching job since the beginning
Many news outlets had reported that the Lakers might finalize the coaching deal with JJ Redick anytime soon. Shams Charania, from The Athletic, had earlier reported that the team hiring Redick was almost a done deal and it was in the last process.
However, veteran NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski later reported that the team always had UConn coach Dan Hurley as the front-runner for the job. He also said that the other interviews were just formalities to finish the process in due manner.
“Hurley has been at the forefront of the Lakers’ search from the beginning of the process, even while the organization has done its due diligence interviewing several other candidates.”
Wojnarowski also said that the team’s front office and the ownership are looking forward to discussing Hurley’s vision for the team. While NBA coaching has been on Hurley's mind, the NBA insider said that the team was ready to give a long-term offer to the UConn coach.