Hurley reflects on UConn's season, sideline arguments and why he won't change

[HooperScooper]

Mike Anthony spent some time with Hurley for this article. As always with Anthony, it's very long.

“I can’t coach this team exactly the way I’ve coached other teams,” Hurley said. “Those other teams could handle more intensity from me, more getting under their skin, needling Cam Spencer. This team, it doesn’t have the same makeup. I can’t be as tough on them. If I coach this team as hard as I coached the last two, I would break these guys. We would have gone into a tailspin.”

https://www.nhregister.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/article/dan-hurley-referees-behavior-uconn-huskies-20149377.php

Alternate access:
Dan Hurley reflects on UConn's season, sideline arguments and why he won't change

 

[gtcam]

Thanks

My head is spinning on DH comparing his officiating pick up games at basketball camps to officiating in D1 basketball.
And the beat goes on...................................................................................................................

 

[Rocktheworld]

Have to interpret this as disappointment. I’m sure he didn’t plan to have a season of a team full of guys who need to be coached gently; the opposite of how he prefers. Did he expect leadership from Aiden out of nowhere? Alex and Diarra haven’t been able to set the tone and bring guys up so that they can handle the hard coaching they endured for two years? Did he grossly misjudge last year’s freshmen and their readiness for his style of coaching?

 

[HuskyHawk]

This is good stuff. I'd cut out some quotes, but can't from the Alternate access. It humanizes him quite a bit.

With a little help:

"“I had no idea I said what I said to that ref,” said Hurley, who had the comment brought to his attention soon after the game. “I’ve said a thousand times the last two years to officials, ‘We’re the national champs,’ or ‘We’re the back-to-back champs and I can’t get a call?’ I didn’t feel like I was getting a great response that night. I went to something that was incredibly egotistical. When I do see other coaches and talk to them, I’m embarrassed that I said that. It makes me feel like a real ass. I’m embarrassed. Like when I talk to [Michigan State coach] Tom Izzo, I can’t believe I put myself on a pedestal compared to someone I idolize. Or [Kansas coach] Bill Self. The guy has been the best coach in the sport, and a Hall of Famer. I feel like an ass.”"

 

[UCan3]

This is good stuff. I'd cut out some quotes, but can't from the Alternate access. It humanizes him quite a bit.

Well, I see no negatives in this at all - isn’t that what good coaches are supposed to do? Adapt coaching to the team you have - not the one you wish you had?

He is doing good job adjusting - as much grief coaches get from fans - think Hurley coached them to victory against Marquette. He’s doing a great job so far this year and hopefully we’re just getting started!

 

[UCFan1513]

Can't imagine anyone else as our coach. He makes the program go 'round

 

[bendm]

Diarra, Ball, Alex, Samson got the same hard coaching last year. Liam is definitely not soft so Hurley must have to coddle all or most of Reed, Mahaney, Stew and Ross.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Well, I see no negatives in this at all - isn’t that what good coaches are supposed to do? Adapt coaching to the team you have - not the one you wish you had?

He is doing good job adjusting - as much grief coaches get from fans - think Hurley coached them to victory against Marquette. He’s doing a great job so far this year and hopefully we’re just getting started!

I didn't say it was negative at all. On the contrary, he apologizes and says he's embarrassed about some things. I think it really explains where he's coming from and shows that he's just a guy who is so competitive that he goes too far at times.

 

[UCan3]

I didn't say it was negative at all. On the contrary, he apologizes and says he's embarrassed about some things. I think it really explains where he's coming from and shows that he's just a guy who is so competitive that he goes too far at times.

Got it. I was taking nothing negative from your post by the way, just chiming in

Being aware that you are going to “over the top” is “half the battle” as they say. Dan is in a league of his own IMO.

 

[Scrutineer]

How badly can he be criticized? He hasn't thrown any chairs across the court yet..............

 

[RuffRuff]

Hysterical - he has empathy for other coaches this season because he now knows how it feels to lose. If ever the DH line.

The piece on not being able to coach with as much tenacity was interesting, but you can generally see it in the make up of this team. Last couple years we had stone cold assassins. I wonder how many 1on1's he has with players, if ever. Or if they use sports psychs at all.

 

[UConnRock]

Hard to criticize Hurley. If Liam is not injured the team is likely 18-4 or better, and probably in the top 10. The 3 losses in Maui were the impetus for Hurley's change in his approach and the post Maui record if Liam was health would be quote impressive . The Marquette win was huge as it showed how the team matured w/o Liam and from a practical standpoint, put the Nova, Creighton and Xavier losses in the rear view mirror.

 

[ctbro1999]

Have to interpret this as disappointment.

100% hard disagree. I think it shows that he realizes he can't just treat every group of players exactly the same as previous groups and expect the exact same results, and that he has to be flexible and his players aren't interchangeable parts. He came to the realization he can't rip into this year's team like the past 2 years, and adjusted his coaching style. Don't see a single shred of negative from that quote, but rather a coach that can read his guys.

 

[TroyHall98]

Have to interpret this as disappointment. I’m sure he didn’t plan to have a season of a team full of guys who need to be coached gently; the opposite of how he prefers. Did he expect leadership from Aiden out of nowhere? Alex and Diarra haven’t been able to set the tone and bring guys up so that they can handle the hard coaching they endured for two years? Did he grossly misjudge last year’s freshmen and their readiness for his style of coaching?

It’s the worst thing a coach can say about a team.

 

[gtcam]

Can't imagine anyone else as our coach. He makes the program go 'round

If UConn were to lose DH, I would take Shaka and Brad Stevens in a heartbeat.

Hard to criticize Hurley. If Liam is not injured the team is likely 18-4 or better, and probably in the top 10. The 3 losses in Maui were the impetus for Hurley's change in his approach and the post Maui record if Liam was health would be quote impressive . The Marquette win was huge as it showed how the team matured w/o Liam and from a practical standpoint, put the Nova, Creighton and Xavier losses in the rear view mirror.

And IF they get blown out tonite vs St Johns? Not sure 1 game dictates how the rest are going to flow, especially seeing how this season has progressed.

 

[RuffRuff]

100% hard disagree. I think it shows that he realizes he can't just treat every group of players exactly the same as previous groups and expect the exact same results, and that he has to be flexible and his players aren't interchangeable parts. He came to the realization he can't rip into this year's team like the past 2 years, and adjusted his coaching style. Don't see a single shred of negative from that quote, but rather a coach that can read his guys.

Times are changing as well. Kids will be less and less “Cam”. Adaptation is necessary. Social media, spoon feeding helicopter parents are pulling the last bits of grit out of this generation. This is a very different athlete than what most on the board grew up with.

 

[gsmooth]

If UConn were to lose DH, I would take Shaka and Brad Stevens in a heartbeat.

And IF they get blown out tonite vs St Johns? Not sure 1 game dictates how the rest are going to flow, especially seeing how this season has progressed.

The road win at Marquette was great for this team and they performed solidly and overcame their 25 turnovers to get the win. UConn deserves a lot of credit for that. Having said that, Marquette made things easier for UConn by screwing themselves a lot when they had chances to keep game pressure on UConn. Marquette missing so many FTs really helped UConn and helped keep the game pressure off of them. And when it looked like Marquette was about to turn the corner, it was Solo Ball that used his sharpshooting and timely 3s which were like a fire extinguisher putting out a fire before it got out of control.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

If UConn were to lose DH, I would take Shaka and Brad Stevens in a heartbeat.

And IF they get blown out tonite vs St Johns? Not sure 1 game dictates how the rest are going to flow, especially seeing how this season has progressed.

The good news is you’re not UConn’s head coach.

 

[Rocktheworld]

100% hard disagree. I think it shows that he realizes he can't just treat every group of players exactly the same as previous groups and expect the exact same results, and that he has to be flexible and his players aren't interchangeable parts. He came to the realization he can't rip into this year's team like the past 2 years, and adjusted his coaching style. Don't see a single shred of negative from that quote, but rather a coach that can read his guys

It can be both

Hurley can recognize and adjust to his players, while bemoaning the fact that he has to treat them gently, when you know that isn’t his style