"Caused me to get on that airplane incredibly hung over": Dan Hurley reveals how a wild South Carolina concert derailed his recruitment visit
UConn Huskies coach Dan Hurley is known for his attention to detail, a skill that enabled him to lift back-to-back NCAA championships. Interestingly, his conversation on the Ryen Russillo Podcast radiates that he learned the knack of making well-thought decisions at an early age.
Dan Hurley leaned towards repping South Carolina during his playing career. However, he shared that a visit to a Hootie & the Blowfish concert gave him a reality check.
“I visited South Carolina, incredible staff back then," Hurley said. "George Felton was the head coach, you had Jimmy Black, you had Joe Dooley, you had Eddie Payne, it was like a big-time staff," he added.
"My last night of the visit was a Hootie & the Blowfish concert, which caused me to get on that airplane just incredibly hungover, and I knew that there was no way physically that I could keep up with a Southern school from a party standpoint,” Hurley followed.
Ryen Russillo, a University of Vermont product, immediately backed Dan Hurley's notion, citing his amazement at students who attended the southern schools.
Moreover, Hurley also revealed that he tried to fill a roster spot for Bob McKillop in Davidson. However, the program's honor code and its implementation made him hesitant to commit to the school.
Dan Hurley is on the road to becoming the best modern-day college hoops coach
The Huskies have made history by becoming the first team since Florida in 2007 to craft a consecutive championship run. Now, the program is determined to clinch a three-peat, a reason big enough for Dan Hurley to dismiss his dream of coaching in the NBA. The 51-year-old coach rejected a coaching role with the Lakers this offseason.
In case Hurley leads the Huskies to another title in the 2024-25 season, they will become the only team in NCAA history to do so since the UCLA Bruins in the early 1970s.
This feat will pit Hurley on top of the coaching pyramid, at least in the modern-day college hoops. Additionally, Hurley would be lifting all these titles with different rosters and star players, adding more weight to the arguments around him.