Dan Hurley, head coach of the University of Connecticut’s men’s basketball team, will be hosting a campus event in the Student Union to discuss his new book, “Never Stop: Life, Leadership, and What it Takes to Be Great.” The event will be held at the Student Union Theatre tonight at 7 p.m. and will be moderated by Molly Qerim, a sports broadcaster for ESPN.
The book is co-authored by Ian O’Conner, a former columnist for ESPN and current columnist for The Athletic. O’Conner has written seven books, five of which were named New York Times Bestsellers. He has written several sports biographies, including works on Derek Jeter and Mike Kryzewski, according to his profile in the New York Times.
Scheduled for release on Sept. 30, the book covers Hurley’s journey and the pressure he faced growing up in a highly successful basketball family. Hurley’s father was a successful high school basketball coach, and his brother was a college basketball star. Hurley’s book discusses dealing with anxiety and the heavy expectations that come with leading a storied program like UConn, according to Simon and Schuster.
The book also tackles dealing with disappointment coming off of their back-to-back national titles to a triple loss in the 2024-2025 season, according to ESPN. In an interview with Reuters, Hurley shared that he had even considered stepping away from coaching altogether during that stretch, offering readers a look at the toll of leadership at the highest level.
The event will provide a chance to engage directly with the coach who has rebuilt UConn into a national powerhouse and to gain insight into his mindset off the sidelines. As Qerim noted, the book and the event highlight a more vulnerable and relatable side of a figure best known for his fiery competitiveness.
The evening will include a moderated discussion and a “questions and answers” portion where the audience can ask Hurley questions. Copies of the book will be available for purchase alongside the ticket purchase. Tickets can be purchased on the Jorgenson website and are $35 for UConn students and $40 for the general public.