Hurley is coming off back-to-back national titles with the Huskies, who would hate to see their coach jump to the NBA.
What would LeBron James think about this move happening? We don’t kow yet, but a few months ago James tweeted about Hurley and it seems like he loves what the coach and his staff have done at UConn.
Here is James replying to a video of JJ Redick, who has also been on the Lakers’ radar, and Hurley talking about UConn’s offense:
He’s so DAMN GOOD!!! Along with his staff. Super creative with their O! Love it
UConn's men's basketball coach Dan Hurley announced on Monday that he would not be leaving for the NBA, despite the reported six-year, $70 million contract he was offered by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Rather than make the jump to the NBA, Hurley has instead chosen to remain in Storrs, Conn. and pursue a third consecutive national championship with the Huskies.
Hurley issued a statement on Monday afternoon, in which he detailed his decision to stay at UConn.
"I am humbled by this entire experience. At the end of the day, I am extremely proud of the championship culture we have built at Connecticut. We met as a team before today's workout and our focus right now is getting better this summer and connecting as a team as we continue to pursue championships," wrote Hurley in a statement shared by UConn's Men's Basketball on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Hurley reportedly met with the Lakers' front office over the weekend and listened to their pitch, but despite calling it a "compelling vision," it ultimately wasn't enough to sway him to abandon what he's built in Storrs. After winning back-to-back national titles, the Huskies will now look to join UCLA as the only program in history to win three in a row.
UConn signed Hurley to a six-year, $32.1 million extension after the 2022-23 season. That's less than half of what he reportedly would've made in Los Angeles, though he could be in line for a new deal following his decision to return to the university.
The UConn Huskies will have coach Dan Hurley back with the program for the foreseeable future. On Monday, Hurley turned down interest from the Los Angeles Lakers, who had hoped to lure him to the NBA to replace Darvin Ham.
Hurley officially declared his intent to remain in Storrs on Monday, prompting boisterous reactions from the college basketball world, including UConn forward Alex Karaban.
Karaban, who announced in late May that he'd be returning to Connecticut for the 2024-25 season, couldn't hide his excitement over his coach's decision. He posted a GIF on X, formerly Twitter, of the pair celebrating after one of their back-to-back national championship wins.
Karaban figures to be one of the team leaders for the Huskies in 2024-25, given how many key players from last year's roster has graduated or declared for the NBA. He averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds during the 2023-24 season while starting all 39 games. He should shoulder an even larger role next season.
Entering his junior campaign, Karaban has won national titles in each of his first two collegiate seasons. On Monday, he made clear how elated he was about his coach's decision to turn down the Lakers in pursuit of the three-peat.
Days after Dan Hurley announced he was turning down the Los Angeles Lakers head coaching job to stay at UConn, the Huskies coach shed more light on his decision during a recent appearance on the Dan LeBatard Show.
Amid speculation that Hurley only entertained the Lakers’ reported interest in him to secure a more lucrative contract at UConn, Hurley calmly stated that he “doesn’t need” the leverage.
“One of the worst takes I’ve heard is that this was a leverage play by me to improve my situation at UConn,” Hurley said on Thursday. “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 financial part in terms of salary has been done for a while,” Hurley continued. “But the idea that this was some conspiracy to get me a sweeter deal at UConn is lazy.”
“One of the worst takes I’ve heard is that this was a leverage play…I don’t need leverage here. We’ve won back to back national championships.”
- Dan Hurley shuts down the rumors that this was all some sort of leverage play to get a better contract with UConn.
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) June 13, 2024
Hurley added that it was “truly a gut-wrenching decision” to turn down the Lakers’ six-year, $70 million contract offer. He also insinuated that he might have left UConn had the Lakers offered more money.
“To say that it's not a motivating factor—the finances—to leave a place, it's definitely a thing,” Hurley said. “The family connection with my wife and my sons… To leave all that behind, there probably is a number. I don't know what that is.”
The back-to-back NCAA champion signed a six-year, $32.1 million deal with UConn in 2023 and is expected to ink a new contract that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in college basketball. Hurley’s new deal is “very close to the finishing line,” Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont told reporters on Tuesday.
Heading into the upcoming season, the Huskies are seeking a third consecutive national title to become the first team to clinch the three-peat since UCLA won seven straight from 1967 to ‘73.
