University of Connecticut men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley is officially out of the race to be the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers after the reigning NCAA Champion coach turned down a six-year, $70 million contract from the storied franchise to stay with the UConn Huskies and push for a three-peat. Hurley has stated his recommitment to 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.”
A statement from UConn Men's Basketball Head Coach Dan Hurley: pic.twitter.com/16e77ykbVp
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) June 10, 2024
Hurley emerged as a completely out-of-left-field candidate for the Lakers job as many assumed JJ Redick was already finalized for the role, with the Lakers waiting for the end of the NBA Finals to announce it due to Redick’s current commitments as a commentator for ESPN.
The Lakers reportedly spent a while planning and speaking to Hurley before the meeting in LA last week. Even though it appeared to have gone well, it wasn’t possible for the coach to leave his students in UConn and pursue his NBA dream, especially when they have the chance to win a third consecutive NCAA title.
Despite losing multiple stars to the NBA, Hurley’s UConn is expected to be a top-five-ranked team next season. If he can actually complete the three-peat, he would have plenty of opportunities in the NBA down the line, which could be far more lucrative than what the Lakers offered him.
Adrian Wojnarowski Revealed The Thought Process Behind Hurley’s Decision
Adrian Wojnarowski has had all the scoops regarding the Lakers’ interest in Hurley, sharing an expansive update on what happened between the franchise and the coach over the weekend.
“He was offered a six-year deal worth $70 million dollars. That would have put him among the top-six paid coaches in the NBA. The Lakers were relentless in their pursuit of Hurley, but ultimately the opportunity of making history at UConn and win a third-straight title, to be the first to do that since John Wooden’s UCLA teams was too much to walk away from at UConn.”
The Lakers successfully sold a vision for the Lakers under Hurley which the coach was impressed by and was keen on, but he’s returning to Connecticut to complete this chapter of his career.
“Hurley was really taken away by the Lakers courtship. He spent Friday in LA with his family, Rob Pelinka, and Jeanie Buss. There was a lot of momentum walking out of the room that night.”
Hurley does have known ambitions of being an NBA head coach and feels like he had to turn out what could be a once-in-a-lifetime offer.
“The NBA has always been an ambition of Dan Hurley’s and the chance to talk to the Lakers, be offered the Lakers job, and really sit with them on a vision of what it looked like, this was not an easy decision for him. He viewed this, I’m told, as a once-in-a-lifetime offer.”
The Lakers will likely resume talking to their other candidates such as JJ Redick and James Borrego, but the dream of having Hurley coach and reshape this franchise will have a curtain put over it.
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