A'ja Wilson and Michael McManus; Coach Dan Hurley of UConn on Instagram

"Dan Hurley is a thug" - A’ja Wilson's friend Michael McManus reacts to viral post detailing UConn coach's actions

Modified Mar 26, 2025 08:25 GMT

On Monday, WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson’s friend Michael McManus was seen reacting to a viral post on social media. The dancer was seen commenting on news about UConn head coach Dan Hurley, who is reportedly under investigation by the NCAA and the Raleigh police.

The inquiry around Hurley stems from his words after his team’s loss to the Florida Gators in the West Regional Second Round.

"I hope they don't f*** you like they f***ed us. I hope they don't do that to you, Baylor," Hurley was heard saying in a clip filmed by Queen City News reporter Joey Ellis.

The reporter was then threatened by UConn's director of communications, Bobby Mullen, who asked him to delete the footage. Another account on X (formerly Twitter) by the name of Rob Reinhart later tweeted that both Hurley and Mullen were under investigation:

“#BREAKING: The NCAA and Raleigh police have launched an investigation into UConn’s athletic department, per source. Following the Huskies' loss to Florida, Dan Hurley went on an explicative filled rant that was caught on video by a member of the media. UConn’s Director of Men’s Basketball Communications Bobby Mullen then demanded the deletion of the video and threatened the reporter, saying that he’d “ruin his life.”

The reporter also confirmed that the NCAA was considering a postseason ban for the team, and could miss out on scholarship spots. This viral post was later posted by A’ja Wilson’s friend Michael McManus:

“Dan Hurley is a thug,” he wrote, retweeting it.

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It's important to note that the account is a parody. According to Front Office Sports' A.J. Perez, Front Office Sports, "the account spews misinformation using an AI-generated profile pic."

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Dan Hurley's team suffered a painful exit in the West Regional-Second Round, losing 77-75 to the Florida Gators.

Michael McManus gives props to A'ja Wilson's former coach after her team earns an impressive victory

Michael McManus has been actively sharing his thoughts on the NCAA women's March Madness results. He also commented on A'ja Wilson's former team on Monday after their win in the second round. Dawn Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks beat the Indiana Hoosiers 64-53 to book their place in the Birmingham 2 - Sweet 16.

Reposting a tweet that featured Gamecocks star Raven Johnson, McManus said:

"You see how Raven credited Indiana even after the disrespect ... That’s a @dawnstaley player ... I, Deloris, will curse you bitches out but Dawn has character kids. This is why no matter how much tell hate them, they’ll continue to thrive."

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The Gamecocks are currently the No. 1 team and will face the No. 4 Maryland Terrapins on Friday in the Sweet 16.

About the author

Arian Kashyap is a basketball journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience at Essentially Sports and Spice Bite and a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Sciences.

Arian's favorite team is the Miami Heat and it’s mainly down to Dwyane Wade being his favorite player of all time. Arian loved how explosive Wade was as a player and he had all the attributes, whether that be shooting, defending or passing. Arian really liked how he won titles both with and without a dynasty behind him.

Arian has also worked with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and was the manager for a Delhi-based women’s team called Garwhal Untied. Garwhal won the Delhi league and were runners-up during his tenure.

Arian has judged essay writing competitions for the Commonwealth Students Welfare Group of India in 2023 and was a part of the U-14 team for the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools academy that qualified for the AIFF Round in 2023.

When not working or watching sports, Arian likes riding his motorcycle and reading.

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