Borges: What’s Dan Hurley’s secret to creating a special connection with his players?

[8893]

Nice read:

What’s Dan Hurley’s secret to creating a special connection with his players?

Wherever he’s been — St. Benedict’s Prep, Wagner, URI, now UConn — Dan Hurley has...

www.ctinsider.com

Perhaps the most poignant statement to the relationship Hurley builds with his players came from not a UConn player, but from E.C. Matthews, whom Hurley coached for five seasons at URI.

After Matthews’ career, which had been sidetracked by a season-ending ACL injury, came to a close on March 17, 2018 with loss to Duke in the NCAA tournament’s second round, he was asked about his relationship with Hurley.

“I know we’re not the same color,” Matthews said, “but he’s definitely my father.”


On Tuesday afternoon, UConn freshman James Bouknight had similar thoughts.

“He’s been like a father figure,” said Bouknight. “Being away from home as a 19-year-old is tricky. Anything I go through, I can just look to him for help. He makes sure I’m always doing the right thing, off the court, in the classroom. And he’s gonna push me all the way to my full potential on the court. He’s gonna yell at me when I’m wrong.”

 

[Travelman6]

His secret is that he cares and he has a passion for what he does. He legitimately wants to see them succeed.
You can be the best Xs and Os coach and/or a top-notch ($) recruiter but if the passion is not there and the players can sense that, it is doubtful you will reach the upper echelon of the sport. See Jim Calhoun, he beat some coaches with, perhaps greater skill sets and/or high recruiting classes because he was just so firey. I don't think I have seen a coach who cares as much as he does about his kids and, other than Wooden, may very well be the best college coach ever (Jay Wright could very well surpass him, to be honest). Hurley is another firey coach and you can tell the kids appreciate it, it is what they need.

 

[SubbaBub]

This is applicable to everyone.

1. Listen.
2. Don't be selfish.
3. Show a genuine interest in other people.

 

[CL82]

His secret is that he cares and he has a passion for what he does. He legitimately wants to see them succeed.
You can be the best Xs and Os coach and/or a top-notch ($) recruiter but if the passion is not there and the players can sense that, it is doubtful you will reach the upper echelon of the sport. See Jim Calhoun, he beat some coaches with, perhaps greater skill sets and/or high recruiting classes because he was just so firey. I don't think I have seen a coach who cares as much as he does about his kids and, other than Wooden, may very well be the best college coach ever (Jay Wright could very well surpass him, to be honest). Hurley is another firey coach and you can tell the kids appreciate it, it is what they need.

Agree with your point generally, but Calhoun was one of the best game day coaches the game had ever seen.

 

[pj]

His secret is that he cares and he has a passion for what he does. He legitimately wants to see them succeed.

Agreed, this is so important. You have to love your players and bear heavy crosses for them. This is where KO failed. He treated it like a job.

 

[spudzj6]

Good article. Thanks for posting.

One thing that stands out to me in that article - Hurley knows each and every one of the program's people in and out. To know how to push buttons and get them to respond is in every definition of leadership. Not everyone has the same motivators, and as a leader, you need to know what works for each person. And it's a learning process, we saw that with his relationship to vital. With more of Hurley's recruits coming in, I'm certain those bonds will start earlier and we may see players develop faster.

The program is on the right track with him at the helm, obviously.

 

[Son of Robert]

I would really like to see Hurley and Sid Wilson make things work.

 

[BlueMAB]

I would really like to see Hurley and Sid Wilson make things work.

No inside info, but I think this issues is really one-sided.

 

[Chief00]

Agree with your point generally, but Calhoun was one of the best game day coaches the game had ever seen.

He was a great motivator in all kind of ways. LOL
On game day, he knew what buttons to push and who he needed to go to to win the game. It wasn’t by coincidence, who was going to the foul line late in big games. I think Hurley is evolving into that practice. It was nice seeing us in the Houston game being so successful getting 89% Vital to the line.

 

[CL82]

He was a great motivator in all kind of ways. LOL
On game day, he knew what buttons to push and who he needed to go to to win the game. It wasn’t by coincidence, who was going to the foul line late in big games. I think Hurley is evolving into that practice. It was nice seeing us in the Houston game being so successful getting 89% Vital to the line.

Calhoun excelled at creating opportunities for his players to succeed. It's not only who got the ball but how, when and where they got it. That evolved as the opposition adapted to his initial strategy. He had an absolutely brilliant mind for it. Blaney talks about that with great admiration from time to time. Coach K has as well.

But yeah, his force of will was something special too.

 

[Chief00]

Calhoun excelled at creating opportunities for his players to succeed. It's not only who got the ball but how, when and where they got it. That evolved as the opposition adapted to his initial strategy. He had an absolutely brilliant mind for it. Blaney talks about that with great admiration from time to time. Coach K has as well.
But yeah, his force of will was something special too.

I honestly think the KO / Calhoun rift started when KO openly gave Larry Brown more credit as a coach than Calhoun. Besides being totally ungrateful to the guy who stuck his neck out to get him the job, it was untrue. The only positive thing KO attributed to Jim was a will to win. Some will give KO the benefit of the doubt, that this wasn’t done out of spite because he thought Jim and his players got too much credit for his early success, but that KO just did not have the capacity to recognize the importance of some of these things. However, Chief thinks jealousy played a role.

 

[Chief00]

I would really like to see Hurley and Sid Wilson make things work.

I think Hurley is a fair guy. He sees Sid every day in practice and is aware of off court stuff.

 

[spudzj6]

I would really like to see Hurley and Sid Wilson make things work.

I'm sure Hurley is doing everything he can for Sid. Disclaimer: No clue the situation they are in, but maybe he hasn't found the right avenue to get through to Sid yet. But there's zero chance Hurley gives up on him. Sometimes it takes drastic steps to get someone to come around. Wasn't it Calhoun who booted Stanley to a rock quarry for a semester to get through to him?? Not saying thats this type of situation, just pointing out that either way, Hurley will do what he can, but it's up to Sid to make the right choices in life.

 

[uconngb]

Agree with your point generally, but Calhoun was one of the best game day coaches the game had ever seen.

Always puzzled why he didn't get more credit for this. Exhibit A is 3/29/99. That game plan was incredible and was executed almost flawlessly. Yes lost some clunkers in the tourney (93 Florida, 96 Miss St and obviously 06 to name a few), but for the most part, was an excellent game planner. And program builder? Will never get the just due he deserves......there simply isn't anything that compares to what he inherited vs. what he created and ultimately left.

 

[RichZ]

I honestly think the KO / Calhoun rift started when KO openly gave Larry Brown more credit as a coach than Calhoun. Besides being totally ungrateful to the guy who stuck his neck out to get him the job, it was untrue. The only positive thing KO attributed to Jim was a will to win. Some will give KO the benefit of the doubt, that this wasn’t done out of spite because he thought Jim and his players got too much credit for his early success, but that KO just did not have the capacity to recognize the importance of some of these things. However, Chief thinks jealousy played a role.

I think KO lost any support he might have garnered from JC the day his lawyers went after Glenn Miller.

 

[8893]

I honestly think the KO / Calhoun rift started when KO openly gave Larry Brown more credit as a coach than Calhoun. Besides being totally ungrateful to the guy who stuck his neck out to get him the job, it was untrue. The only positive thing KO attributed to Jim was a will to win. Some will give KO the benefit of the doubt, that this wasn’t done out of spite because he thought Jim and his players got too much credit for his early success, but that KO just did not have the capacity to recognize the importance of some of these things. However, Chief thinks jealousy played a role.

Why turn a thread about a great Hurley article into another KO/Calhoun thread?

Why?

 

[Martin]

Just watched the 96 BE Championship game vs Gtown. Uconn down by 11 w 5 minutes left. Gtown didn’t score the rest of the way. Prob RayAllen’s worst game ever though he somehow makes the game winner with Scooby Doo legs running on air. JC let’s the guys celebrate the big come from behind victory on the court while he is in disbelief on the sideline. At first just because the way the game ended I thought he would have been celebrating with them. I thought it was cool he stayed out of it after all they won it. I miss him, those teams and hate the way it ended.

 

[donyell34]

Can't help themselves that's why.

 

[brihman]

But what happened to KO? He was so good - having these kinds of articles written about him. It’s just super sad. Enjoying Hurley & hoping he can keep it up. Feeling good so far.

I think KO lost any support he might have garnered from JC the day his lawyers went after Glenn Miller.

 

[Palatine]

For guys like Hurley and Calhoun, they work 24/7 but it really isn't work.

They say that Ted Williams would take batting practice until his hands bled. He didn't consider it work. It was where he wanted to be. It's all he wanted to do. Same with JC and DH. It is all they want to do. They want to think about coaching, eat coaching and get with the kids, be in the gym. Live in the gym. Run a program. It's an insatiable appetite.

Still that isn't enough. You have to be good at it. Have the gift.

That wasn't Ollie. He may have the gift but he didn't have the appetite. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Hoophound]

For guys like Hurley and Calhoun, they work 24/7 but it really isn't work.

They say that Ted Williams would take batting practice until his hands bled. He didn't consider it work. It was where he wanted to be. It's all he wanted to do. Same with JC and DH. It is all they want to do. They want to think about coaching, eat coaching and get with the kids, be in the gym. Live in the gym. Run a program. It's an insatiable appetite.

Still that isn't enough. You have to be good at it. Have the gift.

That wasn't Ollie. He may have the gift but he didn't have the appetite. Nothing wrong with that.

That’s a great post right there.

 

[husky429]

For guys like Hurley and Calhoun, they work 24/7 but it really isn't work.

They say that Ted Williams would take batting practice until his hands bled. He didn't consider it work. It was where he wanted to be. It's all he wanted to do. Same with JC and DH. It is all they want to do. They want to think about coaching, eat coaching and get with the kids, be in the gym. Live in the gym. Run a program. It's an insatiable appetite.

Still that isn't enough. You have to be good at it. Have the gift.

That wasn't Ollie. He may have the gift but he didn't have the appetite. Nothing wrong with that.

Every good coach I know is the same way. I can scout teams for hours, write new plays, text the players, write practice plans all night. It doesn't feel like work to me the same way work does.

Game days are complete he*l though. Practice is way better.

 

[Chief00]

Why turn a thread about a great Hurley article into another KO/Calhoun thread?

Why?

It was agreeing with another poster about Calhoun’s coaching ability. I think he’s a better coach than Larry Brown and that prompted that thought. It wasn’t meant to steer this thread in any particular direction. Chief may be influential but I think you are giving me too much credit If you think just one post in a middle of a thread will have impact. If I am wrong, I will stand corrected.

 

[intlzncster]

I would really like to see Hurley and Sid Wilson make things work.

Sid has to give a !@#$ first.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

@8893 Be honest, you laughed too at this, right?

Chief may be influential but I think you are giving me too much credit If you think just one post in a middle of a thread will have impact.