Mark Medina breaks down Dan Hurley's potential smooth transition to NBA from college basketball: "He has learner's mindset"
Noted journalist and NBA Insider Mark Medina had his say on the LA Lakers edging closer to announcing Dan Hurley as their new head coach after Frank Vogel was fired in the offseason. Hurley, who has no NBA experience, is currently the head coach of the UConn Huskies, which is the fourth college team that he has head-coached.
During a coaching career that began back in 1996, Hurley has won 2 NCAA Division I Tournaments and is widely accepted as one of the best tacticians of College Basketball. The 51-year-old is said to be the Lakers’ final choice for the position after a long-winding search which led them to multiple names, including that of JJ Redick and Ty Lue.
Regardless, while fans might be concerned about his lack of NBA experience, Medina sees Hurley as the ideal choice and believes that he will have no trouble settling down in the big league:
“Just because he doesn’t have NBA experience doesn’t mean he won’t be able to succeed at that job because he has such an extensive resume that aligns really well, as far as his basketball acumen in college basketball.
He added:
And I think that the feeling within the Lakers, they have confidence that he can adjust to the differences of the NBA, how much longer the schedule is, with the fact that these are superstar players, you don’t have to yell at them everytime. I think that he has a great learner’s resume to make his amazon resume even better.”
Medina spoke in detail about the differences that he will have to adjust to, most notably in the sense that he will no longer be working with college prospects. Rather, the fact that he will be working with the NBA’s professionals means that his job might be easier, with Hurley’s tactical ability expected to help him tide over the transition.
Mark Medina backs Dan Hurley as UConn head coach edges closer to LA Lakers job
As stated in the video above as well, Hurley’s move to the Lakers appears no longer a question of ‘if?’, but rather ‘when?’ While the Lakers had considered a plethora of names during their search, it seems as if it has finally come to an end. Following Hurley’s first NCAA Division 1 Tournament victory in 2023, he had signed a six-year, $32.1 million deal, which puts his salary slightly above $5 million a season.
While he is already one of the best-paid coaches in college basketball, that figure is expected to increase significantly, considering the scope of the move. The Lakers have been reported to be preparing a huge long-term contract offer for the coach and will owe UConn a further $1.875 million if the deal goes through, due to a contract stipulation.
Regardless, those details appear to be mere formalities, with Hurley reported to have called a UConn team meeting to discuss the details of the transition, earlier today. Hence, the LA Lakers seem to have finally got their man, with the move itself expected to be announced in the coming days.