“The best thing that happened to me”- UConn’s Dan Hurley describes his “failing” and “struggling” years
Before developing championship players at UConn, Dan Hurley was a player for Seton Hall (1991 to 1996). However, his five years as a point guard quickly take the back seat when compared to his illustrious coaching career.
Hurley reflected the same sentiment while speaking to Graham Bensinger in an exclusive interview released on September 11.
“When I really look back at the college experience, it was all the way around just a major disappointment,” Hurley said.
Nevertheless, Dan Hurley focuses on the lessons of perseverance and consistency that the tough stretch taught him at a young age.
"It was like the best thing that happened to me," he said. "At that stage in my life, failing in so many different ways, and struggling in so many different ways, and having to have the backbone to fight through that and continue to kind of stay in the game and then have the ability to look in the mirror and acknowledge that that happened to you. I don’t ever want to feel like that about myself ever again,” he added.
Even though he made several Big East top-20 lists (assists, steals, free throw percentage), in summation, Dan Hurley averaged 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists on 37.2% shooting throughout his college tenure.
His best season came in his senior year, where he averaged 14.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.3 steals while shooting 39.1%.
Dan Hurley had a falling out with basketball after college
While basketball players around the NCAA circuit, including his teammate Adrian Griffin, were utilizing their last college days to hold workouts and develop for the big league, Dan Hurley was enjoying himself with his friends.
The main reason behind this was that Hurley had been going through a fallout with basketball. Even when he got a playing chance in a different country, Hurley could not gather enough passion to pursue the matters of the court.
"I knew I couldn't, I didn't want to play basketball anymore," he said. "It had become just a painful experience. I was a shell of myself, of the player that entered college. I was too beaten up at that point. I was not in love with the game that way, from a playing standpoint," Hurley added. (16:08)
Nevertheless, deep down, Dan Hurley knew that he had the talent, mindset, and knack for being a coach. The initial confidence came purely from his family background and his father Bob Hurley's decorated time as a high school basketball coach.