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

[HW611]

Duh, which is why I said Calhoun basically built it from scratch and had us in the mix as one of the top programs.

The program was a dumpster fire when Hurley took over going 30-35 overall and having a losing record in a horrible AAC over the previous two seasons. Not to mention recruiting restrictions and a scholarship reduction he had to work with because of the previous coach. Despite this, Hurley was tasked with building the program back to what it once was under Calhoun which seemed like a monumental task anyone would most likely fall short of. Instead he built the program to heights it's never seen before.

I think the state of the program when he took over is far exaggerated.

It got new life going back to the Big East and he inherited two 5* guards when he got here.

The hardest thing about college basketball is getting talent, this program sells itself (and Hurley has done an amazing job in general at identifying talent).

I push back on “never seen before” because we've just never seen the back to back.

But come on man we've won 4 titles before he got here and was the premiere program in the best conference in basketball winning multiple Championnships with a claim as having the best players in the NBA (not just getting there but performing there) at one point. No we didn't get the credit from the media (who cares), but we've been here before.

We aren't even dominating our conference like Calhoun did in the 90s where he won 6(!!!) regular season Big East titles in a much tougher conference. We've won one Big East regular season since Hurley has been here.

The only things we haven't seen is the back to back and media love (but who cares about media love). But we've been here before. Lets act like it.

 

[thekollieman]

Why else would someone constantly whine at every chance he gets about coaching at a program that has the legacy we do while giving him everything he wants?

He came here being able to sell recruits on championships not because he won them, but because this program won them.

He came here being able to sell recruits NBA success not because he put guys in the league previously, but because this program did.

But he wants to whine about how hard it is every chance he gets to coach here. Give me a break man.

I personally don’t see it as whining. It doesn’t come off like that to me at all. I suppose it’s up for interpretation.

Most negative spin I could possibly come up with is he’s only expressing himself like that for the sake of selling books, but even that perspective doesn’t resonate with me because he’s always expressed himself that way throughout the time I’ve been aware of him. I think Hurley is just an authentic man. You could argue there are drawbacks to being authentic, but I’d call it admirable overall.

 

[CL82]

if you read the threads here about Belichick, you'll see there aren't too many people giving him credit for the six Super Bowl wins. They are saying no wins without Brady.

Yep. That was my subtle commentary on the issue.

 

[HW611]

if you read the threads here about Belichick, you'll see there aren't too many people giving him credit for the six Super Bowl wins. They are saying no wins without Brady.

That game Monday night is not helping Bill’s case

 

[temery]

I love Clingan, and he was a huge part of our greatness, but if you think we won a title because of his 13 minutes a game in 2022-23 then it's not worth having this conversation

Until he wins (FF or better) with an entirely different team, he will be hoping to follow in Billy Donovan's shadow.

 

[temery]

That game Monday night is not helping Bill’s case

Exactly

 

[NJHoops]

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.

It’s one of two things and it’s really only a handful of people, both imo obviously.

One, they don’t like him. Or, I should say they don’t like what they think they know of him. Ok. He is not for everyone and everyone is not for him. Cool.

The other thing is the way, again, only a handful of people react to praise of him when it is not paired with some qualifier that of course he is no comparison to our lord and savior Jim Calhoun. It’s an insane take. Nobody is comparing! Everyone can be pretty and blessed in their own way.

However, when people (person?) start embodying the intelligence of the most intense UConn hater twitter troll (omg what about Donovan?!), it is a lost cause here.

 

[superjohn]

I think the state of the program when he took over is far exaggerated.

It got new life going back to the Big East and he inherited two 5* guards when he got here.

The hardest thing about college basketball is getting talent, this program sells itself (and Hurley has done an amazing job in general at identifying talent).

I push back on “never seen before” because we've just never seen the back to back.

But come on man we've won 4 titles before he got here and was the premiere program in the best conference in basketball winning multiple Championnships with a claim as having the best players in the NBA (not just getting there but performing there) at one point. No we didn't get the credit from the media (who cares), but we've been here before.

We aren't even dominating our conference like Calhoun did in the 90s where he won 6(!!!) regular season Big East titles in a much tougher conference. We've won one Big East regular season since Hurley has been here.

The only things we haven't seen is the back to back and media love (but who cares about media love). But we've been here before. Lets act like it.

We haven't been here before, that's the whole point. Hurley took us to an even higher level. We have the best coach and best program in the country now. Stop moving the goal posts and act like we have the best coach and program in the country.

 

[Inyatkin]

I think the state of the program when he took over is far exaggerated.

It got new life going back to the Big East and he inherited two 5* guards when he got here.

The hardest thing about college basketball is getting talent, this program sells itself (and Hurley has done an amazing job in general at identifying talent).

I push back on “never seen before” because we've just never seen the back to back.

But come on man we've won 4 titles before he got here and was the premiere program in the best conference in basketball winning multiple Championnships with a claim as having the best players in the NBA (not just getting there but performing there) at one point. No we didn't get the credit from the media (who cares), but we've been here before.

We aren't even dominating our conference like Calhoun did in the 90s where he won 6(!!!) regular season Big East titles in a much tougher conference. We've won one Big East regular season since Hurley has been here.

The only things we haven't seen is the back to back and media love (but who cares about media love). But we've been here before. Lets act like it.

If the program sold itself we never would've been down as far as we were. Watch some tape from 2018 if you doubt how far down we were. You're weirdly dismissive of the back-to-backs when it's incredibly rare, twice in 30+ years. The 90s Big East was not that strong.

Other than that, great post.

 

[RuffRuff]

Until he wins (FF or better) with an entirely different team, he will be hoping to follow in Billy Donovan's shadow.

IDK - part of the glazing he got for winning #2 was for losing 3 starters to the NBA, and how it was virtually impossible to go B2B in the current era. He also got a ton of recognition for running an offense that many saw as revolutionary in the college game.

We also cannot forget he streamrolled the field two years in a row like nothing seen before. That was unprecedented. Donovan had the exact same starting 5 and didn't win with nearly the dominance. He just has a longer/better overall body of work at the college level.

 

[temery]

We haven't been here before, that's the whole point. Hurley took us to an even higher level. We have the best coach and best program in the country now. Stop moving the goal posts and act like we have the best coach and program in the country.

And what will he need to do over the next five years to maintain this supposed media darling status you believe he has earned.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

If the program sold itself we never would've been down as far as we were. Watch some tape from 2018 if you doubt how far down we were. You're weirdly dismissive of the back-to-backs when it's incredibly rare, twice in 30+ years. The 90s Big East was not that strong.

Other than that, great post.

Yeah, "the program sells itself" is such a monumentally stupid thing to say for anyone who's been watching for more than the last handful of years that it's hard to even read past that.

 

[Mr. French]

This thread is full of some big brains.

 

[HW611]

We haven't been here before, that's the whole point. Hurley took us to an even higher level. We have the best coach and best program in the country now. Stop moving the goal posts and act like we have the best coach and program in the country.

Media wise, yes. But we've been here before. I personally don't care what the media thinks.

Like do you know in 2004 we won the title, Big East Championship, BET, produced two top 5 picks, an NBA All Star, and another guy who was the leading scorer on a team who won an NBA title? All in the same year.

That's the problem with this never been here before thing. It discredits our amazing history we have and heights we've seen just because some stupid media person didn't recognize it.

 

[HW611]

If the program sold itself we never would've been down as far as we were. Watch some tape from 2018 if you doubt how far down we were. You're weirdly dismissive of the back-to-backs when it's incredibly rare, twice in 30+ years. The 90s Big East was not that strong.

Other than that, great post.

We had a top 5 recruiting class in 2016. We were bad because everyone got hurt or left. Up until 2016 we had a 5* recruit or transfer come in every year post 2014 title.

It was 2 very very bad years where the train fell off the tracks compared to a 30 year run of excellence and titles. I don't mean to be dismissive of the back to backs. I've always been complimentary of the job Hurley has done in injecting amazing talent in this program (talent that I also annoyingly cape for because I think we do such a great job of it).

But he does have to have some sustained success outside of these back to backs. I know its crazy to say “without something thats been done 3 times in 30 years” but as tem said, without those back to backs he hasn't even made it to a sweet 16 (I think).

 

[RuffRuff]

Yeah, "the program sells itself" is such a monumentally stupid thing to say for anyone who's been watching for more than the last handful of years that it's hard to even read past that.

Look no further than the University of Indiana if you'd like to see how effective programs that self themselves are without a great coach.

 

[Mets1432]

Unfortunately this story gained national steam, which I'm sure is good for Hurley's book numbers. However it does paint a picture to recruits that Hurley is unpredictable and could retire/quit at any time. I don't love that.

 

[RuffRuff]

Unfortunately this story gained national steam, which I'm sure is good for Hurley's book numbers. However it does paint a picture to recruits that Hurley is unpredictable and could retire/quit at any time. I don't love that.

Yup. And distraction to kickstart the new season. If you want to help your team out, keep it quiet. He talked down the Knicks job like he had no interest and Uconn was the place for him, then this. A bit all over the place. Weird timing. Why it feels book intentional.

 

[Waquoit]

However it does paint a picture to recruits that Hurley is unpredictable and could retire/quit at any time. I don't love that.

I seriously doubt it. But I will rethink if he strikes out this recruiting season.

 

[NJHusky]

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.

That;s not a fare comparison. Where Uconn was when JC got here and were it was when Dan Hurley got here...We might have been down, but we had 4 NC and 4 years removed from the last one. He also had world class facilities...what did JC have? AND...DANNY HAS THE PORTAL!!

 

[Waquoit]

What's Hurley's record without Clingan?

And how many has he won without his son on the team?

 

[John]

Unfortunately this story gained national steam, which I'm sure is good for Hurley's book numbers. However it does paint a picture to recruits that Hurley is unpredictable and could retire/quit at any time. I don't love that.

that was my first thought hearing this news, gives some nice ammo to other coaches during the recruiting wars.

 

[NJHusky]

What's Hurley's record without Clingan?

Better than Belichik's without Brady...😉

 

[temery]

And how many has he won without his son on the team?

When he has a son who started even one game, get back to me.

 

[Lafayette]

That game Monday night is not helping Bill’s case

Brady did not help Bill's case - retired and how was New England? Thought about it an unretired, went to Tampa and see how they did? NFL is a completely different animal to NCAA basketball.

NFL - 45 guys, offense and defense and special teams - all adults, the coach has some merit (see Detroit), but more over we've seen how a good QB changes everything with a team? Buffalo and Allen, New England and Brady, Indy and Peyton, etc. When they leave the team semi implodes. Not the same with coaches.

NCAA BK - mix of transfers and HS recruits - they all want to play for a winner and get a Natty and coaches that have been there and back and have grown players into NBA recruits, they get the lions share - unless you are Calipari at Kentucky and pay players pre-NIL.