“Start yelling and then throw, kick a ball”: UConn’s Tarris Reed shares hilarious Dan Hurley practice story
UConn Huskies center Tarris Reed is preparing for the 2025-26 season. Last year, Reed and the rest of the Huskies were eliminated in the second round of the 2025 national tournament by the Florida Gators, 77-75. It halted coach Dan Hurley's team's bid for a national title three-peat.
In an interview with @storrscentral on Instagram on Thursday, Reed was asked about his most hilarious story with his coach during practices. The St. Louis, Missouri native shared a funny story about Hurley that speaks about his loud personality.
"I got to think, bro. I'd probably say the first time I'd probably seen him like start yelling and then throw, kick a ball and start rolling on the ground. Yeah, I'll say definitely the first time 'cause then, you're not used to that seeing such a passionate coach like Coach Hurley. So, I think seeing him like punt the ball like an NFL kicker, bro," Reed shared. (0:08)
"I'll say that, that's probably up there. And then, him like yelling on the ground like, 'Tarris, oh my God!,' in practice, so that's definitely up there," he added.
Reed and UConn finished the 2024-25 season with an overall record of 24-11 (14-6 Big East). They aim to reclaim the national championship next season.
Tarris Reed says he'd go to war with coach Dan Hurley
Later on his interview with @storrscentral on Instagram on Thursday, Tarris Reed shared what it feels like to have an animated and passionate coach in Dan Hurley. The incoming senior said that with a coach who can be as expressive as Hurley, he'd be more inspired to go through challenges.
"I feel like that's a coach that you want to go to war with. You know like, you playing behind a coach like coach Hurley, like that's a dude that's the head of the ship, like that's somebody you want to play for. I mean especially in games too, like he's hyping up the crowd, he's talking to the other team like that's somebody you want to go to war with," Reed shared. (0:38)
"I just love that energy and you definitely feed off of it. I'm telling you, there are times in the game where it can be low, then the coach brings up the energy, and we just feed off it. We go on like a 10-0 run," he concluded.
Reed enters the 2025-26 season for his fourth year of college basketball. He transferred to the UConn Huskies for his junior year in the 2024-25 campaign after having spent his first two stints with the Michigan Wolverines.
In his first year with Hurley and the Huskies, Reed averaged 9.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.6 blocks per game.