“This is going to be brutal”: UConn HC Dan Hurley shares range of emotions experienced on the flight back home 

On Monday, Dan Hurley rejected a $70 million offer from the LA Lakers for their vacant head coach position following the firing of Darvin Ham. The news was regarded as the biggest win for Big East and college basketball, as Hurley is considered one of the best in the NCAA.

On Thursday, the two-time NCAA title-winning coach spoke with CBS Sports regarding the offer and the events leading to his decision. When asked what was going through his mind on the flight back home, Hurley said:

​

"This is going to be brutal. This is going to be a hard choice. And I think, in general — and it's weird, because some of the advice, and there's just all these different things too, because you've got a lot of things going on in your mind — but it's funny, in the end, I just had this conversation with Alex Karaban.

"If a decision is really hard whether you should stay in a place or leave a place, and you're torn, you probably should never go. You should only probably leave a place if it's a clear thing to do. And so really, I just backtracked and just did what I told Alex."

Dan Hurley calls lies on claims of leveraging Lakers' offer for a better one from UConn

After Dan Hurley's rejection, it was widely reported that UConn is set to change the terms of his previously signed contract and increase his salary. In 2023, Hurley signed a six-year, $32.1 million contract, but rumors now suggest it could be increased to $50 million.

During an appearance on "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" on Thursday, Dan Hurley said:

​

"One of the worst takes I've heard is that this is a leverage play by me to improve my situation at UConn. I don't need leverage here. We've won back-to-back national championships at this place. This was never a leverage situation for me. I've had a contract in place here for a couple of weeks.

"And the final part, in terms of salary, has been done for a while. There are some other parts, like NIL and staff salary and some different things, that I want adjusted and I'm not comfortable with. But the sense of the idea that this was some conspiracy to get me a sweeter deal at UConn is just, it's lazy."

With the return, Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies prepare for another potential championship-winning season, their third in a row. A title win will make the Huskies the first since the UCLA Bruins to achieve a three-peat.

What do you think of Dan Hurley's decision to stay? Let us know in the comment section below.

​

​