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

[Inyatkin]

What would the athletic director say? Seriously?

"I'm deeply troubled that our coach is as emotional as we all knew he was, and even though he's taken us to the absolute peak of the sport, he better keep it under wraps from here on out."

Some of you are so weird.

 

[Waquoit]

Every coach has a bad year or two. The great ones adapt and rebuild and keep on coaching.

Hurley has been a head coach for 15 years and hasn't had "a bad year or two" necessitating adaption and rebuild yet. Every season has been better than the year before in three coaching stops. It's a remarkable record and yet you seem to be gigging him for it. Even last year, they took the eventually champs to the mat losing before just 1 point. In the old days, folks here would say the purpose of the regular season was so JC could get the team ready for March. What, that doesn't matter anymore?

 

[temery]

Hurley has been a head coach for 15 years and hasn't had "a bad year or two" necessitating adaption and rebuild yet. Every season has been better than the year before in three coaching stops. It's a remarkable record and yet you seem to be gigging him for it. Even last year, they took the eventually champs to the mat losing before just 1 point. In the old days, folks here would say the purpose of the regular season was so JC could get the team ready for March. What, that doesn't matter anymore?

Outside of winning the back to back I don't think he ever got past the second round. 15 years = seven appearances. Eight years at Wagner and RI, he had two first round wins. In his first four years at UConn, two appearances, and didn't get past the first round.

In fact, If his best is the second round for another year or two he'll be considered a dog by most people here.

 

[Inyatkin]

My early experience as a fan was that we could never get to the Final Four, let alone win the whole thing.

Never as a UConn fan thought we'd get to the place where we'd "yeah but" about a national championship, let alone two of them. But here we are

 

[superjohn]

This place is so embarrassing a lot of the time, but it is at least starting to make sense to me why that is.

Bingo

 

[temery]

Cool, now we're criticizing him for things he hasn't done yet

Yet? Are you expecting him to leave?

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

This is a deeply embarrassing thread. The delta between how this program is regarded by the rest of the college basketball universe and how some of you tend to look at it is almost unfathomably large. I'm trying to imagine being a fan of some other program and reading some of these posts. Sometimes it's useful to remember that UConn won two of the last three national championships.

 

[temery]

This is a deeply embarrassing thread. The delta between how this program is regarded by the rest of the college basketball universe and how some of you tend to look at it is almost unfathomably large. I'm trying to imagine being a fan of some other program and reading some of these posts. Sometimes it's useful to remember that UConn won two of the last three national championships.

I don't know too many fans of other teams that hold Hurley in high regard. This nonsense that we (men's team) are a national treasure is just that, pure nonsense.

There's nobody I want coaching this team more than Dan Hurley. But I highly doubt he'd be as successful anywhere else.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I don't know too many fans of other teams that hold Hurley in high regard.

I cannot think of one school that wouldn't trade their current head coach for Hurley. The only coaches that are within shouting distance of him are a decade (or more) older and at the tail end of their careers.

 

[HW611]

There's nobody I want coaching this team more than Dan Hurley. But I highly doubt he'd be as successful anywhere else.

Laughable to think he would've been this successful if he decided to go with his other choice that was… check notes Pitt.

Have to put more respect on our program giving Hurley the platform and resources to be as successful as he is.

Maybe all these comments and moves Hurley makes are ways to keep his foot on the ADs neck to keep getting what he wants though. He's mastered becoming the most powerful coach in college basketball.

 

[Inyatkin]

Laughable to think he would've been this successful if he decided to go with his other choice that was… check notes Pitt.

Have to put more respect on our program giving Hurley the platform and resources to be as successful as he is.

Maybe all these comments and moves Hurley makes are ways to keep his foot on the ADs neck to keep getting what he wants though. He's mastered becoming the most powerful coach in college basketball.

Yeah, man, imagine being successful at an ACC school with recent history as a national power.

Your thing seems to be "UConn sells itself," which, again, see tape circa 2018

 

[HW611]

Yeah, man, imagine being successful at an ACC school with recent history as a national power.

Your thing seems to be "UConn sells itself," which, again, see tape circa 2018

Do I really have to go in depth and on how much better of a history we have as a program than Pitt?

Y'all will never let go of the two bad seasons we had in 30+ years.

Hurley isn't going to Pitt and doing something they never did which was recruit a top 5 recruiting class. He's not bringing in a top 10 player there and selling them on NBA success they never had. He'd be going there talking about bringing the first national championship to Pitt.

What would be “The Wall” that Hurley promotes at Pitt that he gets to actively promote here? Man put some respect on our programs history please.

 

[HW611]

Yeah, man, imagine being successful at an ACC school with recent history as a national power.

Your thing seems to be "UConn sells itself," which, again, see tape circa 2018

Some of y'all want to be considered a blue blood so bad but then scoff at the idea that we sell ourselves like a Duke, UNC, KU, etc would.

 

[Inyatkin]

Do I really have to go in depth and on how much better of a history we have as a program than Pitt?

Not remotely what I said, but OK.
You said he'd never be as successful had he gone to Pitt. Maybe, but impossible to know. I do know he's made every team he's coached at much better in a short time. So maybe not so crazy he'd win some things at Pitt.

 

[temery]

Do I really have to go in depth and on how much better of a history we have as a program than Pitt?

Y'all will never let go of the two bad seasons we had in 30+ years.

Hurley isn't going to Pitt and doing something they never did which was recruit a top 5 recruiting class. He's not bringing in a top 10 player there and selling them on NBA success they never had. He'd be going there talking about bringing the first national championship to Pitt.

What would be “The Wall” that Hurley promotes at Pitt that he gets to actively promote here? Man put some respect on our programs history please.

Two?

 

[RuffRuff]

I don't know too many fans of other teams that hold Hurley in high regard. This nonsense that we (men's team) are a national treasure is just that, pure nonsense.

There's nobody I want coaching this team more than Dan Hurley. But I highly doubt he'd be as successful anywhere else.

The LA Lakers & Kentucky Wildcats were sold on him winning elsewhere. When we start thinking we are smarter here than the brass of those two institutions, that's when this place has really gone off the rails.

Fans of other teams don't like Hurley for the antics, but they all think he's at the top of the sport right now in terms of coaching ability & program building. I'll guarantee you this, if some struggling power program snatched up Hurley (UNC), you'd find a lot of those types becoming fans fast.

 

[Inyatkin]

When we start thinking we are smarter here than the brass of those two institutions, that's when this place has really gone off the rails.

Bad news, buddy

 

[HW611]

The LA Lakers & Kentucky Wildcats were sold on him winning elsewhere. When we start thinking we are smarter here than the brass of those two institutions, that's when this place has really gone off the rails.

Fans of other teams don't like Hurley for the antics, but they all think he's at the top of the sport right now in terms of coaching ability & program building. I'll guarantee you this, if some struggling power program snatched up Hurley (UNC), you'd find a lot of those types becoming fans fast.

The Lakers also tried to get Ollie.

Not saying Hurley is the same. But these institutions aren't always right. And the Ollie to the Lakers talks weren't as random as the Hurley to the Lakers talks.

 

[temery]

The LA Lakers & Kentucky Wildcats were sold on him winning elsewhere. When we start thinking we are smarter here than the brass of those two institutions, that's when this place has really gone off the rails.

Fans of other teams don't like Hurley for the antics, but they all think he's at the top of the sport right now in terms of coaching ability & program building. I'll guarantee you this, if some struggling power program snatched up Hurley (UNC), you'd find a lot of those types becoming fans fast.

Fans are fickle as hell. In Jan of '23 a lot of people here were calling for his head. And he looked like a fool calling for a three peat, then tanking in the 2024 Maui Invitational.

He's a great match for UConn, but he should speak less and concentrate more on coaching.

 

[RuffRuff]

Fans are fickle as hell. In Jan of '23 a lot of people here were calling for his head. And he looked like a fool calling for a three peat, then tanking in the 2024 Maui Invitational.

He's a great match for UConn, but he should speak less and concentrate more on coaching.

That was the guy has no idea how to coach inside 5 minutes version of Dan Hurley.

The second piece I agree on after last years show, but I'll always argue this - sports is about entertainment. When you can pair winning with being entertaining, it makes for a better watch.

Hurley has bought himself a LOT of leash at this point. There needed to be a recession at some point and last year was it, market correction. No coach is going to cut through the field like it's hot butter every year. I don't even see it as a disappointment as much as an expectation. He started two career bench guys, a freshman and a role player hoping Aidan Mahaney could fill in the blanks. Was a terrible roster.

 

[freescooter]

If you don't realize that his emotions run higher and deeper than most people, you know very little about him.

I imagine that he will be at an inflection point every few years due to how encompassing the job is, how emotionally invested he is in the program, the players and the results and that it is basically impossible to reach the level of success he aspires to (winning the national championship) every season.

There will be times at the end of some seasons where he will feel completely drained and begin questioning if he can continue. I'm very confident that after a little contemplation he'll recharge and be ready to go for another title.

When Bob Cousy was coaching at BC and later in the NBA at the end of every season hew would check himself into the psychiatric wing of a hospital (I think Mass General but not sure) for a few weeks. He said he was so burned out he needed to do that to function. I could see Hurley being in a similar state.

On the other hand I think this was just Hurley being Hurley.

 

[superjohn]

When Bob Cousy was coaching at BC and later in the NBA at the end of every season hew would check himself into the psychiatric wing of a hospital (I think Mass General but not sure) for a few weeks. He said he was so burned out he needed to do that to function. I could see Hurley being in a similar state.

On the other hand I think this was just Hurley being Hurley.

It worked out pretty well for Cousy considering he's the oldest living former NBA player.

 

[AntG168]

UConn fans not liking Dan Hurley are the strangest of the bunch. This thread is cringe worthy.

“Nobody holds hurley in high regard” is a helluva statement when Kentucky and the Lakers damn near were ready to sell their souls for him. If he was on the open market there would be a bidding war of epic proportions from both collegiate and professional institutions. Hide your disdain for the guy a little better.

 

[Mr. French]

UConn fans not liking Dan Hurley are the strangest of the bunch. This thread is cringe worthy.

“Nobody holds hurley in high regard” is a helluva statement when Kentucky and the Lakers damn near were ready to sell their souls for him. If he was on the open market there would be a bidding war of epic proportions from both collegiate and professional institutions. Hide your disdain for the guy a little better.

“Hide your stupidity” would be more appropriate. Disdain is one thing.

 

[temery]

The LA Lakers & Kentucky Wildcats were sold on him winning elsewhere. When we start thinking we are smarter here than the brass of those two institutions, that's when this place has really gone off the rails.

Fans of other teams don't like Hurley for the antics, but they all think he's at the top of the sport right now in terms of coaching ability & program building. I'll guarantee you this, if some struggling power program snatched up Hurley (UNC), you'd find a lot of those types becoming fans fast.

Reminds me of a Bill Laimbeer quote: "“In Boston, they think I’m an balloon knot. But if I played for Boston, I’d be their balloon knot.”