Hurley Threads (merged)

[BGesus4]

I have no idea, I don't follow them much and never advocated for having Oats over Hurley but he's accomplished more there than Hurley has here so far. I watched some of the game today and they looked bad, I think not having their point guard had something to do with it.

They didn’t have their point guard today but they were brutal most of the year except for a couple games. They lost to Georgia who is significantly lower ranked by kenpom than Georgetown. Their loss today was in character with them this year and they were preseason top 10 and picked by most to win the sec.

 

[auror]

I think some of you forget that Hurley himself coached in the AAC and had a bad season with these senior class players. He said "from where WE were in the AAC".

He didn't say anything about Ollie in that statement.

You doth protest too much if you read embarrassing low point as a dig at Ollie and leapt to defend him.

 

[UCLJ0211]

I might be mistaken, but I seem to remember JC being the national coach of the year in his 4th season at the helm

Correct, AP Coach of the year in 1990

 

[ConnHuskBask]

That quote is an embarrassment. Hurley hasn't accomplished anything, and he is trashing Ollie?

OLLIE WON A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

Ollie's last season was skewed by Gilbert's injury and several unexpected transfers out. As for the conference situation, that helps Hurley, not hurt him. He wouldn't have been able to recruit anyone to play at UConn in that stupid southern mid-major league that UConn shouldn't have joined in the first place.

Ollie stayed loyal to the school when he could have gone anywhere, and was then dealt a Spartacus sandwich as a reward. Hurley has accomplished ABSOLUTELY NOTHING at UConn despite huge advantages, and now he is talking trash about old coaches?

Anyone who says something like that quote is a loser. The kind of person that looks for excuses rather than solves problems. I don't think Hurley will be successful here.

If you thought the transfers out were unexpected...

 

[Rich]

Jay Wright once lost a second round game with 9 top 100 recruits on his roster.

 

[jibsey]

Hurley is recruiting well. How long does his contract extend?

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Jay Wright once lost a second round game with 9 top 100 recruits on his roster.

Can’t say stuff like that around here. That’s like pointing out that Bill Self had consecutive first round losses to Bradley and Bucknell after taking a national runner up team he inherited from Cryin’ Roy to the elite eight in year one. Hurley is uniquely inept in the tournament and will not improve.

 

[superjohn]

Jay Wright once lost a second round game with 9 top 100 recruits on his roster.

So did Calhoun and K but it was the first round. Who cares?

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

So did Calhoun and K but it was the first round. Who cares?

Jay Wright circa 2022 is not the coach he’s always been. He’s improved. He’s said as much a million times. Why will Hurley not? Why are we uniquely doomed?

 

[superjohn]

Jay Wright circa 2022 is not the coach he’s always been. He’s improved. He’s said as much a million times. Why will Hurley not? Why are we uniquely doomed?

He can and I really hope he does but there's worrying signs so far. We're really easy to scout and the moment has seemed too big for him so far. He has to get a couple of very good players before next season.

 

[HooperScooper]

Hurley is recruiting well. How long does his contract extend?

Through 2026-2027 season.

UConn Finalizes Contract Extensions with Edsall and Hurley - University of Connecticut Athletics

STORRS, Conn. – University of Connecticut director of athletics David Benedict announced today that the contracts of head football coach Randy Edsall and hea...

uconnhuskies.com

 

[superjohn]

Through 2026-2027 season.

UConn Finalizes Contract Extensions with Edsall and Hurley - University of Connecticut Athletics

STORRS, Conn. – University of Connecticut director of athletics David Benedict announced today that the contracts of head football coach Randy Edsall and hea...

uconnhuskies.com

Why does UConn do this with every coach?

 

[BapeKidd88]

Read the section of Gavin Keefe's pre-game article about UConn in yesterday's New London Day below.
Two things jump out - 1. Ollie's termination was determined to be w/o cause resulting in a $11mm payday for him and 2. Ollie won a National Championship from the 7th spot in 2014.
Before Hurley opens his mouth again, he should put some positive numbers on the board.

"This group will always be remembered for lifting this program from a really, really embarrassing, bad point....," Hurley said. "It's not easy coming from a worst league with a bad team to one of the best leagues in the country and playing at the top of the conference two years in a row, getting to the (Big East tournament) semis and being a hair away from playing for a championship Saturday, going to back-to-back NCAA tournaments from where we were in the AAC."

Really? Go win your first game at the dance for UConn before you say another peep!

With Seton Halls loss and Houstons win, the American and NBE have close to the same amount of teams left heading into the first weekend.

 

[JMick]

Why does UConn do this with every coach?

Benedict has done it twice now, and both times for zero reason. For good or bad we are stuck with hurley through at least 2024 because of this.

 

[UCTitleTown]

I couldn't believe hearing that Iowa State went 2-22 in 2020/21 and are 21-12 after being LSU in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night. Now that's a turnaround. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard it.

 

[InKembaITrust]

Hurley should have very few excuses in year 5. The roster is finally all his guys with Whaley and Polley gone. Keys in the offseason:

Develop AJ's perimeter shot.
Samson, Hawkins, and Diggins must get stronger.
Everyone minus Sanogo and Springs should be shooting threes all day every day.

 

[methodology]

Would have loved Musselman if UConn struck out on Hurley. Great basketball background, connections and IQ

Hurley gets more than next year but the clock is ticking if he continues to lay eggs when it counts

 

[BigFanCT]

Would have loved Musselman if UConn struck out on Hurley. Great basketball background, connections and IQ

Hurley gets more than next year but the clock is ticking if he continues to lay eggs when it counts

Musselman is another touchy subject on this board. Didn’t want him because he had no “knowledge” of Northeast, yet the guy was a head coach in the NBA at a young age. He had/has connections everywhere.

Hurley sold everyone on his northeast prowess and sure, the recruiting has improved, but it wouldn’t take much from really anyone to come to UConn and recruit guys from the northeast compared to what we were getting from KO at the time (YouTubers).

The options were there at the time. I spoke of Oats in a different thread and his situation.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

He can and I really hope he does but there's worrying signs so far. We're really easy to scout and the moment has seemed too big for him so far. He has to get a couple of very good players before next season.

I don’t disagree with that in the slightest. I was at Best Buy buying a new flatscreen today because of it. But plenty of coaches have had rocky tournament starts.

 

[methodology]

Musselman is another touchy subject on this board. Didn’t want him because he had no “knowledge” of Northeast, yet the guy was a head coach in the NBA at a young age. He had/has connections everywhere.

Hurley sold everyone on his northeast prowess and sure, the recruiting has improved, but it wouldn’t take much from really anyone to come to UConn and recruit guys from the northeast compared to what we were getting from KO at the time (YouTubers).

The options were there at the time. I spoke of Oats in a different thread and his situation.

He’s coached under and learned from some of the greatest coaches in basketball. Highly respected and considered an offensive genius

 

[connVA]

I always wonder where we would be with a consistent, steady Kevin Ollie. No knock on Dan just wonder. You can never tell what life will throw at you.

Ollie was a solid play-caller before he started mailing it in- his chip is testament to that- but he was subpar at player development (think of how much better Hamilton and Adams could have been with decent coaching). If anything, I imagine that would have ultimately been his undoing, even if he had decided to continue doing his job instead of chasing skirts or whatever he was prioritizing those last few years.

 

[GotNets?]

Musselman could be an option down the line possibly… see if Arkansas extends him this off-season.

It’s time to start casually looking around the dance floor. Dan Hurley apparently gets stage fright or maybe he just has no rhythm. The band will play a few more for him fortunately.

 

[uconnyankee]

I mean, Hurley can say whatever he wants. And I agree that where he picked up the program might have been an all time low point for UConn.

I’m glad we now have Hurley leading our team, KO was a good coach who let his personal life derail his career.

I believe Hurley is still the right guy to bring us back to the top.

But in KOs 5 year tenure, he went 7-1 in the NCAAs, 3 conference final appearances, 1 conference championship and 1 National championship.

Hurley needs to start producing some results before he talks about his teams creating legacy… no more excuses or “look how far we’ve come” b.s.

Those stats are accurate but how quickly people forget.
Ollie produced the bulk of those results in year 1-2.
The trajectory was down with players leaving. The program was in a free fall.

I give credit to Ollie for winning the NC. But he didn't build that team. under Ollie the caliber of player fell off and the construct of the team was horrible.

 

[BapeKidd88]

I give credit to Ollie for winning the NC. But he didn't build that team. under Ollie the caliber of player fell off and the construct of the team was horrible.

Would Ollie have won an NCAA tournament game by now with a veteran team led by James Akinjo (3rd team All-American) and Josh Carlton (1st team All-AAC)??

I tend to believe that Ollie could've won an NCAA game by now with that.

Cole (1st team All-BE) and Sanogo (1st team All-BE) aren't bad but I don't think that Hurley's results to date are untouchable for what Ollie would/could have done.

 

[dennismenace]

I always wonder where we would be with a consistent, steady Kevin Ollie. No knock on Dan just wonder. You can never tell what life will throw at you.

It is a good lesson for all to ponder. I suspect KO thinks about that a bit. The question is also where does KO go from here and hoping for the best for him. Uconn may be "bigger" than Dan but life is bigger than Uconn. You only get one life. This season ended very abruptly. It's over. But it's still Spring and life is about starting over again. Jump in.

 

[KingAG]

Oats and Mussleman are not “above” Hurley. Hurley just took a different approach regarding transfers and pushing players out.

Comparing any new coach to Calhoun is idiotic. Comparing our coach to Calhoun as a slight is even more so. Calhoun is arguably the greatest program builder ever.

The ending to this season sucked. Some fundamental things about how he’s constructing his rosters need to change or he’ll never reach the heights he wants to. But the personal attacks and name calling of a man who without a doubt brought this program back from life support is weird and uncalled for imo. No one who’s met Hurley would call him a “loser”. It’s a step too far. Dan coached on the AAC, he wasn’t taking a dig at Ollie. Matter of fact earlier in the season he named Ollie as one of the coaches who achieved something great here. You guys have your panties in a bunch over a passing quote. He said from where “we” were and gave all credit to the players. We’re reaching now. Chill out.

 

[temery]

Crapping on your predecessor is rarely a good look, even if correct.

 

[pepband99]

That quote is an embarrassment. Hurley hasn't accomplished anything, and he is trashing Ollie?

OLLIE WON A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

Ollie's last season was skewed by Gilbert's injury and several unexpected transfers out. As for the conference situation, that helps Hurley, not hurt him. He wouldn't have been able to recruit anyone to play at UConn in that stupid southern mid-major league that UConn shouldn't have joined in the first place.

Ollie stayed loyal to the school when he could have gone anywhere, and was then dealt a Spartacus sandwich as a reward. Hurley has accomplished ABSOLUTELY NOTHING at UConn despite huge advantages, and now he is talking trash about old coaches?

Anyone who says something like that quote is a loser. The kind of person that looks for excuses rather than solves problems. I don't think Hurley will be successful here.

Reading that quote, and thinking he's talking about anything but the seniors/super-seniors, is a much larger embarrassment. RIF.

 

[jchusky]

I've checked out on this dude, always excuses. Kevin Ollie dissapointed at the end, but at least the man when he lost stood up and said he got outcoached. Neither Hurley brother is liked around cbb from their peers either, starting to notice why.

 

[djct1999]

Oats and Mussleman are not “above” Hurley. Hurley just took a different approach regarding transfers and pushing players out.

Comparing any new coach to Calhoun is idiotic. Comparing our coach to Calhoun as a slight is even more so. Calhoun is arguably the greatest program builder ever.

The ending to this season sucked. Some fundamental things about how he’s constructing his rosters need to change or he’ll never reach the heights he wants to. But the personal attacks and name calling of a man who without a doubt brought this program back from life support is weird and uncalled for imo. No one who’s met Hurley would call him a “loser”. It’s a step too far. Dan coached on the AAC, he wasn’t taking a dig at Ollie. Matter of fact earlier in the season he named Ollie as one of the coaches who achieved something great here. You guys have your panties in a bunch over a passing quote. He said from where “we” were and gave all credit to the players. We’re reaching now. Chill out.

100%. This pushback on Hurley after where he has the program headed in 4 short years is astonishing. UConn was on the brink of irrelevance and he flipped that narrative almost immediately. Sure, the Big East helped but more than that, you see it in the the type of kid he is proving to constantly bring in. UConn, in its prime, was always about elite talent, whether highly regarded out of the gate or developed in Storrs. Calhoun's teams had multiple NBA players, most times multiple lottery picks. This team has none.
Is Hurley perfect? No. He does need to improve his in game coaching. But he was perfect for this job and still is. Where Hurley went wrong is he decided to focus on culture vs the transfer portal. It backfired. It backfired because Hawkins wasn't truly ready, Gaffney regressed, and Polley didn't bring as much as we would have liked. I truly hope he learned from this mistake. We need multiple experienced guards.
I have always praised our fanbase as extremely knowledgeable about basketball. The takes on here over the past day are as embarrassing as they are unbecoming. It reeks of entitlement and delusion. Entitled because of our past that feels like ancient history and delusional in terms of what this team really was. We should have won on Thursday regardless. It was unquestionably a bad loss. To put Hurley on the hot seat, to discredit what he has accomplished, to whine and complain like most have, is a total joke and lacks perspective that most on here usually have.