In a guest appearance on the ‘Dan Patrick Show,’ UConn Women’s Head Basketball Coach Geno Auriemma revealed a recent conversation he shared with Dan Hurley, who has emerged as a last-minute finalist for the Lakers head coaching job.
“I happened to be at a thing with him last night,” said Auriemma hours after the news broke of Hurley’s talks with the Lakers. “I have no idea what’s going on and I have no idea where this is going or what’s happening but I leaned over and I said ‘I think you could win a lot of championships with the Lakers, more so than a guy who’s never coached.’ I just looked at him and he kind of laughed and then I woke up this morning and voila.”
Geno Aurriemma shares his reaction to the Danny Hurley reports and says he was actually with him last night and randomly said to him:
"I think you could win a lot of Championships with the #Lakers, more so than a guy who's never coached." pic.twitter.com/aX0h3cPepx
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) June 6, 2024
After some pushback from the host, Geno (who has been on the job since 1985) doubled down on the story and explained that he had no clue about his colleague’s potential role with the Lakers until Thursday. That’s the day when everyone discovered that Hurley, who just won back-to-back titles with the UCONN Men’s Basketball team, was considering taking his talents to the NBA as coach of the Lakers.
As a proven winner and well-respected basketball strategist, Hurley seems like an ideal fit for the Lakers if for no other reason than his experience leading one of the most successful programs in the NCAA for the past six years. After LeBron James, a 4x NBA champion, gave them some key advice to his team this week, the Lakers are finally thinking about the bigger picture and Hurley can be someone who makes a positive impact for many years to come.
Lakers Fans Are Mixed On Dan Hurley
Many fans were shocked to hear Dan Hurley emerge as such a serious candidate this late into the game. A deal with 15-year NBA veteran JJ Redick was never finalized but many believed it was a foregone conclusion that he would be named as the team’s next head coach.
Online, the reactions were mostly mixed but I felt there was a sense of relief that the Lakers are at least considering bringing in a more experienced and established coach to lead their locker room.
Dear Lakers Organization: Please hire Dan Hurley. Don’t hire a coach with no coaching experience and haven’t won any championships in the NBA
— Dale Washington (@daleywashington) June 6, 2024
Of course, based on the state of the Lakers and the current trends of the modern NBA, some fans questioned if he would even accept the job if it was offered this summer. The Lakers have always had a high turnover rate for coaches, and Hurley would be stepping into a high-pressure situation from the start.
Dan Hurley is smart. He knows better than to take the Lakers money so he can experience at-will employment at the hands of an NBA superstar who wakes up one day and decides he wants a new coach.
— Ben (@bengoodfella) June 6, 2024
The amount of people who support the Hurley hire is pretty strong and I found it almost surprising how many voiced their desire to see him replace Redick as the primary candidate.
I would rather the Lakers get Dan Hurley than Reddick. I do think JJ could be a coach one day but i want him to gain some experience. Tired of these White boys skipping the line while everybody else gotta go through hell to get a look
— Uncle Daddy Wee-Yum (@MrGee54) June 6, 2024
Hurley has already made a statement to his players and confirmed that he’s in talks with the Lakers. As negotiations ensue, business will move as usual for everyone involved. For now, we can only assume that the negotiations are still ongoing and the search remains active for the head coaching job.
With important decisions to be made for all sides, I do not think they will regret letting this process play out slowly. On the cusp of a major crossroads, the wrong hire now could set everything ablaze and it could become the final nail in the coffin for the LeBron James era in Los Angeles. Fortunately, the Lakers are keeping all of their options open at the moment and it’s a good sign that they’ve found at least two candidates worthy of major consideration.
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