Dan Hurley, head coach of UConn basketball team, turned down an offer to coach LeBron James and the Lakers. Hurley emphasized his commitment to coaching young players at UConn and the importance of family. He expressed gratitude for the coaching journey that led him to UConn, highlighting the personal growth and development it brought. Hurley mentioned considering adding a 13th scholarship but stated it's not a priority due to the competitiveness of the current roster. Despite interest from the Lakers, Hurley valued the impact and relationships he has at UConn, indicating a desire for a swift contract finalization. His wife, Andrea, reacted strongly to the Lakers' courtship, expressing anger and tears over the potential move, emphasizing her contentment in Connecticut.
UConn's Dan Hurley says wife got ‘violently angry’ in the early days of Lakers' interest: 'She got emotional' https://t.co/JpLiYyNB2r
Dan Hurley’s wife was ‘angry and moved to tears’ upon learning Lakers reached out: https://t.co/AGNZv0VoWq
Hurley: “Shoutout to Cooper and the whole Flagg family…they made me miss Billy at Fenway in September. We couldn’t miss a second concert because of basketball issues. We could have thought through posting the video better.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “I’ve got such an awesome staff, and I think with Luke and Kimani in particular, we’re in a special place together. I’m lucky to have these guys around me…we’re really cohesive and we work like a machine together.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “If you really couldn’t be happier, why would you disrupt that?” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “I wanted to make sure that the players — whether I stayed or went — heard it from me in that locker room.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Dan Hurley’s wife, Andrea, got ‘violently angry’ over Lakers courtship: ‘Now you’re bringing this s–t’ https://t.co/WMGylI5hhv https://t.co/Hb8J8q8kOT
Hurley: “We’re considering maybe using a 13th scholarship, but it’s not a priority. One through 12 right now is pretty competitive.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “Just sharing the initial news, I didn’t like the way (the guys) looked at me when I told them I would consider it. I’ve enjoyed their faces ever since.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “My dad loves his Big East tournament tickets, so he didn’t want to miss them.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “The impact and the relationships I have with people, those are things that I love right now.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “This was a great test for me. This was a great opportunity for self-reflection. In the end, it wasn’t my ego that mattered most, it was family and the people here at #UConn.” #BleedBlue
Hurley: “I’ve had to adapt…from high school to low Division I, from low Division I to mid, from mid to the best program in the country. This, for me, was a great exercise to develop and have a greater appreciation for where you are and the opportunity you have here.” #UConn
Hurley: “Fifteen years ago, I was still a high school coach. You just can’t imagine that you’d be in a position to make those choices. From high school to Wagner to Rhody to here, I’ve got a lot of pride in the journey. It’s hard to wrap your mind around it.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “Hopefully, they’re able to finalize something soon and get the whole contract done.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “This was something that, when the Lakers come calling and you’re the type of person that’s competitive and looking for challenges, it’s something I really had to consider. Again, this was not a leverage situation.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “It’s just a lot of relief, you feel a lot lighter. It was great to get out and recruit.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “I did not (meet with LeBron), but we did have some communication.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “The chance to coach LeBron James was incredibly exciting, it made it incredibly appealing. But for me, this is such a high level we’re competing at, I get to coach 18-19-20 year-old kids where you could change their lives.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Dan Hurley says his wife Andrea was “angry and moved to tears” when she first heard the Lakers reached out and part of that was how much they know the brand matters, and how happy she is in Connecticut. “But after that, we handled it like adults and looked at all the variables.”
Hurley on his wife, Andrea finding out about the Lakers’ interest: “She was angry, anger turned into tears. She wasn’t happy, because we love it here.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “I got a great commitment from the group.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “I felt horrible that Thursday. I didn’t get a chance to address it to the guys with the timing of it. I wanted to make sure that things were very quiet until I met with them that day. I had made my decision before I went in there.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley on Lakers: “I don’t know how long they vetted me out.” #UConn #BleedBlue
Hurley: “I called (Karaban) on Sunday and talked to him about the situation. He gave me his advice and I listened to it.” #UConn #BleedBlue