Dan Hurley “Seriously” Considered Stepping Down From UConn Last Year

[temery]

Glad you're sticking with this. Maybe check out the '23 and '24 rosters sometime to see if there were any different players on them.

Fair enough, but you know what I meant - winning with different teams. How many coaches have won national titles with entirely different players.

Off the top of my head, I can only think of Wooden, Calhoun and Coach K. I'm sure there are a few more, but not many.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Was the contemplation of stepping aside really "serious"?

 

[Gburyhusky]

I was fortunate to be able to attend one of the summer sessions at UConn in August. After the practice scrimmage we were given guided tours of the facilities, including the basketball staff offices. All of the doors were open and the staff were in their offices working. A group of about 10 of us were in the hallway when Coach Hurley appeared from his office and said to the group "Do you like the smell?" I thought it was a weird question, but I did notice that there was a unique smell throughout the building, like a high end air freshener. Hurley then explained to the group that over the summer that he and the staff had developed a plan to help the team with road trips during the season. The plan involves using a certain formula air fresheners in the Werth basketball facilities (he explained what was in them), and then using the same formula air fresheners in the hotel rooms of the players and staff for road trips this season. The concept is that this will help the players psychologically on road trips because the smell will be a familiar one and would help them more easily adjust to the road environment. I am posting this here because it's perhaps some insight into his mindset and focus. (He was incredibly gracious and friendly to everyone).

 

[RuffRuff]

Fair enough, but you know what I meant - winning with different teams. How many coaches have won national titles with entirely different players.

Off the top of my head, I can only think of Wooden, Calhoun and Coach K. I'm sure there are a few more, but not many.

Quite a few more - B Knight, R Pitino, B Self, R Williams. I may be missing a couple.

 

[superjohn]

Not Kimani? Is that because you expect him to have moved on to another program or do you think Luke will leap frog him?

I love Kimani but Luke is the perfect guy to lead the program for a long time. He's young, he's a decade younger than Kimani, he's basically an offensive basketball savant who designed our offense and he's been with Hurley at Wagner, URI, and UConn.

 

[Spaceman213J]

This is just who Hurley is. He lays it all out there. It's why the majority of kids love him and a few want no part of him. There may be times when a player would like a little filter, but in the end, I think they'd rather just have a coach who when it is all said and done, is going to advocate for their best interests and will try to build them into the best person, not just player, that they can be. I also think that's a big reason that Kimani and Luke have stuck around as well.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Not Kimani? Is that because you expect him to have moved on to another program or do you think Luke will leap frog him?

I think Luke has already leapfrogged him. Easily the most valuable assistant on the team.

 

[JMick]

I think everyone has felt this about some job at one point or another. We just aren't writing books about it.

I have a hard time imagining him "taking a year off" and then going back into coaching. Wherever he would land afterwards wouldn't be up to his standards, either, and he'd be miserable rebuilding again.

 

[Mr. French]

This message board is genuinely hilarious.

 

[temery]

Quite a few more - B Knight, R Pitino, B Self, R Williams. I may be missing a couple.

That's not even close to "quite a few," and Pitino is a great coach, but one of his wins was vacated.

And Hurley isn't at the level of Calhoun, K, Knight, Self, or Williams until he wins at least one more without a starter from '23 or '24. If he moves on before then, he'll still be a HOF coach, but far from a legendary coach like those mentioned above.

 

[king conn]

At least we can shelve the nba worries. I don't see it on either side now.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I think he should remember that talk Calhoun gave him when he first got here and not share every thought he has about how hard it is to coach here or how he thinks about leaving.

I think you may want to consider following some of your own advice and realize that not every notion that passes through your head needs to be posted on this forum.

 

[CL82]

I think Luke has already leapfrogged him. Easily the most valuable assistant on the team.

Maybe, but Kimani is the associate head coach. It's tough to see a scenario where an assistant leapfrogs the associate head coach and the associate head coach continues in the same role. Kimani is a big part of the reason we have the last two national championships, particularly his recruiting. Don't get me wrong, Luke is a talented guy, but I'm not sure he's ready to jump from being an assistant to a head coach of a high major program.

 

[NJHoops]

Hurley is an incredible coach who has done amazing things for the program fueled by a wild personal intensity. He’s also a drama queen and a bit of a volatile nut.

You take the rough with the smooth

Volatile nut? Sure. Drama queen? Not sure if I agree with that characterization.

People want honest conversations about mental health until it makes them uncomfortable or doesn’t fit a narrative. It’s two sides of the same coin with him. The same openness and emotionality that, in part, makes him a good coach doesn’t get shut off.

 

[NJHoops]

This message board is genuinely hilarious.

what makes it even better is that a lot of the hilariousness is so unintentional

 

[CL82]

I was fortunate to be able to attend one of the summer sessions at UConn in August. After the practice scrimmage we were given guided tours of the facilities, including the basketball staff offices. All of the doors were open and the staff were in their offices working. A group of about 10 of us were in the hallway when Coach Hurley appeared from his office and said to the group "Do you like the smell?" I thought it was a weird question, but I did notice that there was a unique smell throughout the building, like a high end air freshener. Hurley then explained to the group that over the summer that he and the staff had developed a plan to help the team with road trips during the season. The plan involves using a certain formula air fresheners in the Werth basketball facilities (he explained what was in them), and then using the same formula air fresheners in the hotel rooms of the players and staff for road trips this season. The concept is that this will help the players psychologically on road trips because the smell will be a familiar one and would help them more easily adjust to the road environment. I am posting this here because it's perhaps some insight into his mindset and focus. (He was incredibly gracious and friendly to everyone).

I actually love that he stopped and took the time to explain it to you guys. For what it's worth, the impact of smell is highly underappreciated. It is an incredibly evocative sense, and there are studies that indicate it is an underused and effective tool in drawing out long-term memories. I'm just speculating, but it wouldn't surprise me if Hurley, who is a voracious reader, invariably aimed at improving himself and the team, read something about that and decided to put it to practical use. Love him or hate him, you have to acknowledge Dan Hurley is always thinking, and pretty much always thinking about winning.

Thanks for posting that. It was a great anecdote.

 

[Waquoit]

And Hurley isn't at the level of Calhoun, K, Knight, Self, or Williams until he wins at least one more without a starter from '23 or '24. If he moves on before then, he'll still be a HOF coach, but far from a legendary coach like those mentioned above.

Not far at all, steps behind maybe. Billy Donovan is at the level of the view you cite. And JC never had UConn men this high in the national consciousness ever. You aren't giving Dan Hurley his due.

 

[RuffRuff]

That's not even close to "quite a few," and Pitino is a great coach, but one of his wins was vacated.

And Hurley isn't at the level of Calhoun, K, Knight, Self, or Williams until he wins at least one more without a starter from '23 or '24. If he moves on before then, he'll still be a HOF coach, but far from a legendary coach like those mentioned above.

Smith, Crum.

I agree with you there - right now his best comp would be Donovan, lightning in a bottle. In many ways the potential of his legacy has just begun as he's still in what many would call peak coaching years and he has the brand momentum right where he wants it. One more title over his career would cement him in a very exclusive group of coaches.

 

[Inyatkin]

And Hurley isn't at the level of Calhoun, K, Knight, Self, or Williams until he wins at least one more without a starter from '23 or '24. If he moves on before then, he'll still be a HOF coach, but far from a legendary coach like those mentioned above.

You will find another way to move the goalposts. I think that is clear by now

 

[temery]

Not far at all, steps behind maybe. Billy Donovan is at the level of the view you cite. And JC never had UConn men this high in the national consciousness ever. You aren't giving Dan Hurley his due.

What was Hurley's record outside the two championship years? 2nd round twice. He has a lot of work to do to catch up to Donovan.

 

[Umami Zen]

Dan is an intense person-No news there. He is passionate about his family-craft-players/coaches/Program. Burns the candle at both ends. It seems to me he's sincerely and constantly working on new outlets/interests to rejuvenate-revitalize-relax so that he has longevity in his pursuits. His brutal honesty and self-awareness about his mental health challenges over the years is inspiring to many. Admire him for shining a light on those challenges for others to learn from.

More to Life than Xs and Os.

 

[RuffRuff]

Very weird timing for a diddy like this to let loose, hard to think it's not book related. This was otherwise best kept private as it's certainly not doing the program much good.

 

[temery]

You will find another way to move the goalposts. I think that is clear by now

Perhaps, but with this argument I don't need to move anything. Hurley = b2b titles, and three 2nd round trips. Four if you count the NIT.

If he moved on now, in 20 years only UConn fans will have any idea who he was. Some will know he was Bob Hurley's son, but that would be able it.

 

[Inyatkin]

Perhaps, but with this argument I don't need to move anything. Hurley = b2b titles, and three 2nd round trips. Four if you count the NIT.

If he moved on now, in 20 years only UConn fans will have any idea who he was. Some will know he was Bob Hurley's son, but that would be able it.

Most people today don't know who Dean Smith is. Congrats on discovering the passage of time.

Your thing is that two national titles isn't so great. That's an unreal hill to die on, but keep at it. I'm sure people will come around.

 

[Waquoit]

What was Hurley's record outside the two championship years? 2nd round twice. He has a lot of work to do to catch up to Donovan.

He took a program in the dumps and got them to the big dance in three years. Won the whole thing in five. Won it again after losing 3 guys to the pros. That's extraordinary and here you are throwing shade. He's way ahead of JC's pace. JC never went to 5 tournaments in a row until his 20th season, he always need to reload after 3. Dan did it in 7, no reloading necessary. JC never made 6 in a row.

 

[RuffRuff]

Perhaps, but with this argument I don't need to move anything. Hurley = b2b titles, and three 2nd round trips. Four if you count the NIT.

If he moved on now, in 20 years only UConn fans will have any idea who he was. Some will know he was Bob Hurley's son, but that would be able it.

Not sure I agree with this one. One thing Hurley is that many of these previous coaches were not is a media machine - we've gotten to know him really well in a very concentrated time frame, exactly how this & future generations absorb content. He's become larger than life. It's like a rock star that drives his motorcycle off a cliff at their peak, stamps themselves as a legend.

The guy also fixed a program that was on life support.

 

[RuffRuff]

He took a program in the dumps and got them to the big dance in three years. Won the whole thing in five. Won it again after losing 3 guys to the pros. That's extraordinary and here you are throwing shade. He's way ahead of JC's pace. JC never went to 5 tournaments in a row until his 20th season, he always need to reload after 3. Dan did it in 7, no reloading necessary. JC never made 6 in a row.

To JC's defense, he didn't have the portal.

 

[Waquoit]

To JC's defense, he didn't have the portal.

JC doesn't need defending. Apparently Dan Hurley does.

 

[UCTitleTown]

I seriously consider stepping down from my job on a daily basis.

 

[superjohn]

Not far at all, steps behind maybe. Billy Donovan is at the level of the view you cite. And JC never had UConn men this high in the national consciousness ever. You aren't giving Dan Hurley his due.

Calhoun is my favorite coach ever and he built this thing basically from scratch but your point is 100% true and it's not said enough here. UConn was in the mix but they weren't viewed as the premier program in college basketball under Calhoun and Calhoun wasn't viewed nationally as the top coach in college basketball. UConn is viewed as the premier program under Hurley and Hurley is viewed as the top coach in college basketball.

It's bizarre how some of our own fans take swipes at him and try and minimize his remarkable accomplishments.

There is no luck involved in curb stomping the field 2 years in a row by something like a 22 point average margin of victory. That was the most dominant team in the 64 team tournament era and the 4th most dominant team in the 64 team tournament era. He didn't do it with the same players...Sanogo, Hawkins, Jackson, Joey C, and Alleyne all left. That's 3 starters gone and 5 of our top 8 performers gone.