Dan Hurley says no to Hollywood and the Lakers; will come back to Storrs to chase the historic “three-peat” 

After a week of uncertainty surrounding the future of the UConn men’s basketball team, Husky fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Dan Hurley officially declined a six-year contract worth $70 million to be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. The UConn head coach has no plans on leaving Storrs, Conn. anytime soon and has his sights set on chasing the historic “three-peat” after turning down the Kentucky Wildcats and Lakers this summer. Hurley acknowledged this decision wasn’t easy but noted, “In the end, there were too many reasons to be here, at UConn.” 

The big question on fans’ minds now is why? What were the reasons the two-time national champion cited as good enough for turning down arguably the most storied franchise in professional sports history and a chance at coaching one of the game’s greatest of all time in LeBron James? For Hurley, it went beyond the dollar sign; it was a combination of factors, which included the impact he believes he has left to make not just on the court but off it. 

“The chance to coach LeBron [James] made it incredibly appealing, but then for me, I just think this is such a high level of sports,” the former Seton Hall guard told media personnel. “I get a chance to coach 18, 19, 20 year old kids that you can really help change their lives. You can compete for big things and win big things, but like the impact that you have on Jordan Hawkins and his family and Donovan [Clingan] and his family,” adding, “You get the top sports competition, but then you also get the fulfillment too which goes through your mind a lot.” 

Hurley also made it known that the decision to stay was not just about him. He wanted his loved ones’ input, including that of Bobby Hurley, Andrea Hurley and his parents, all to answer the deeply rooted question of “What fulfills you? What does the combination of your mind and your heart tell you to do and what’s best for your family?” 

While Hurley welcomed the possibility of coaching the Lakers, the job does not come without its challenges. The franchise has seen a revolving door of coaches since the departure of Phil Jackson in 2011, hiring seven different coaches in that 13-year span. The front office has also struggled to build a solid roster outside of James and Anthony Davis. As a result, the team has struggled to make the playoffs since their 2020 title in the bubble. For a team with so much money invested into their two superstars and a Western Conference that is as competitive as ever, the sun does not shine bright over the Lakers, as they do not have a solid young core like their rivals and face uncertainty on what to do next.   

What is the state of the Los Angeles Lakers? Hurley made it known how good of a job the Lakers is, although, some folks in the basketball community do not see eye-to-eye with the Connecticut head coach. Many reasons surround the franchise’s uncertain future. Not to mention, it seems that whatever coach the Lakers get will be their second choice, unlike Jackson, who gave this franchise much-needed life. This situation is like the 2019 season when the management dropped the ball with Tyronn Lue and settled for Frank Vogel, who only lasted three years despite winning the Finals in the bubble. 

While some Laker fans see Hurley rejecting the chance to soak up the sun in Hollywood as the latest of failures from the 17-time NBA Champions, Hurley did not see it that way. In fact, the New Jersey native saw the opportunity as something you get “once in a lifetime” and made it known that the decision to reject the Lakers was not taken lightly. 

A college coach rejecting the opportunity to coach professionally has been seen before, with former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski snubbing Los Angeles 20 years ago to spend the rest of his career with the Blue Devils.  

Despite the “distractions” of the past couple of weeks, with Hurley testing his other opportunities and Alex Karaban’s decision to come back to Connecticut after previously declaring for the NBA Draft, it is business as usual at Storrs. Karaban made it known last Thursday that the Huskies are in good shape and have their sights set on title No. 7.  

“Coach said this really could be one of our most talented teams and I really see it. Just from, you know, a standpoint of how we compete against each other every day, how much work we put in, and really we just got to continue to build and continue to understand the concepts, and I think we will be right there again,” Karaban said. 

It is that confidence that the Huskies have emanated since last year’s national championship, and it plays into the program’s strengths. It is the winning culture that Hurley has woven into the fabric of UConn, and it makes sense why a team like the Lakers would want that. What Hurley and the UConn men’s basketball team have accomplished over the past two seasons has been historic. Despite losing NBA-level talent in players like Andre Jackson Jr., Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins, the coaching staff reloaded with Cam Spencer and Stephon Castle to join a roster that many didn’t even pick to win the Big East, yet ran through March Madness like no one before them. 

 
The sun shines bright over Storrs. The chances of a “three-peat” are as great as ever. Karaban has come back for another year and Hurley has a legitimate chance at doing something that hasn’t been done since John Wooden was at UCLA. With Hurley back at the helm and a Big East conference as talented as ever, all that is left now is the long wait until November for the drama to unfold again.