"We have a really beautiful connection at UConn": Dan Hurley sheds light on rich college culture that drove him away from Lakers
The UConn Huskies will not be in search of a new head coach for their men's basketball team as Dan Hurley decided to stay in place despite being offered the Los Angeles Lakers head coach position. While Hurley has discussed previously how the NBA has been his dream, it will not be happening just yet.
While appearing on "The Dan LeBatard Show" with Stu Gotz, Hurley discussed how the connection at Storrs made it too difficult to leave for the Los Angeles Lakers job when interviewing for it last week:
"Try to imagine walking into the locker room and telling your team, 'I'm not with you guys anymore.' The beautiful thing for us in college is that at UConn, what the NIL and the [transfer] portal hasn't destroyed, we have a really beautiful connection [at UConn]. There's a feeling of connection, brotherhood, there's real true emotion and feelings for each other here."
(from 1:33:18 mark onward)
He continued to say the connection with his players and the university as a whole was a deciding factor that he would not have had in the professional ranks.
Can UConn Huskies win a third-consecutive NCAA Tournament?
Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies are looking to be the second team ever to win three consecutive national champions in the NCAA Tournament era, after the UCLA Bruins did it with legendary head coach John Wooden, rattling off seven titles in a row. However, the Huskies are not the only team with the best odds to win the 2024-25 NCAA Tournament.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Huskies are in a three-way tie for the top spot with the Kansas Jayhawks and Alabama Crimson Tide (+1000). When looking at their most recent national championship, their closest game by the final score was 15 points, so there seems to be a gap between them and the rest of the country.
Until a team can knock off the UConn Huskies, the path goes through the team in Storrs.
Can Dan Hurley justify his decision to reject the Los Angeles Lakers by successfully guiding UConn to a three-peat next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.