Is Hurley Really The Answer?

[Captbluefin]

Hurley does not even have the job and he already has a full blown defense team I see.

I just don’t understand why everyone is so eager to settle for him.

It’s the AD’s job to go out and get a Coach and it seems everyone is willing to settle for Hurley..

Sorry it’s disappointing to me that we have declined this far..

 

[JMick]

Hurley does not even have the job and he already has a full blown defense team I see.

I just don’t understand why everyone is so eager to settle for him.

It’s the AD’s job to go out and get a Coach and it seems everyone is willing to settle for Hurley..

Sorry it’s disappointing to me that we have declined this far..

You can't even name another coach you would want. At this point it looks like Hurley or a retread. Hurley has much more upside than a retread. The AD can't just make people move jobs. There are financial and tangible obstacles in the way. If you have $5mm you want to pony up for someone like Billy Donovan please call AD David Benedict right now

 

[intlzncster]

Hurley does not even have the job and he already has a full blown defense team I see.

I just don’t understand why everyone is so eager to settle for him.

It’s the AD’s job to go out and get a Coach and it seems everyone is willing to settle for Hurley..

Sorry it’s disappointing to me that we have declined this far..

Who are your candidates and why are they a better candidate?

People are just looking at resumes. Hurley's happens to be better than most if not all available options.

Not many people are that emotionally invested in this as you are making out.

 

[intlzncster]

The AD can't just make people move jobs. There are financial and tangible obstacles in the way. If you have $5mm you want to pony up for someone like Billy Donovan please call AD David Benedict right now

And wait until June to maaaaaybe be able to get him. He very well might not even be fired. I'd love Donovan. Pure pipedream.

UCONN is a very good job. But it's not Duke, UK, Kansas, UNC etc. People aren't jumping from a decent top 30 job for UCONN. You'd have to offer $4m+

 

[JMick]

And wait until June to maaaaaybe be able to get him. He very well might not even be fired. I'd love Donovan. Pure pipedream.

UCONN is a very good job. But it's not Duke, UK, Kansas, UNC etc. People aren't jumping from a decent top 30 job for UCONN. You'd have to offer $4m+

I get that people want a surefire guy but they are just so illogical. There is a lot of room between hiring someone like Billy Donovan or finishing .500 or lower under Ollie

 

[Walker11]

Out of curiosity, who would be your guy?

Hurley is the best legitimate candidate. I have trouble with some of the offensive metrics over the years. I think he will recruit well, will field a good defensive team and develop talent. He has a high floor. That's a good start.

His offense has looked the way it has with the same core of perimeter players. I have no idea what it looked like at Wagner. Whose to say it won't be different with different talent at UCONN? You see the best coaches like Calipari and K install entirely different offensive philosophies depending on their talent. Maybe that will be Hurley.

 

[JMick]

Hurley is the best legitimate candidate. I have trouble with some of the offensive metrics over the years. I think he will recruit well, will field a good defensive team and develop talent. He has a high floor. That's a good start.

His offense has looked the way it has with the same core of perimeter players. I have no idea what it looked like at Wagner. Whose to say it won't be different with different talent at UCONN? You see the best coaches like Calipari and K install entirely different offensive philosophies depending on their talent. Maybe that will be Hurley.

People are looking at how he trotted out three guards this year and are basically saying that's how Ollie coached so what's the difference. If you just go back a year he had two forwards contributing more than any big here since Shonn Miller

 

[Captbluefin]

I am not saying I have a candidate. Like I said it’s disappointing that Hurley is the best we can do..

It’s the AD’s job he gets paid a pile of money to get us a coach... It’s not like other AD’s have not gone out and snagged another teams HC.

Are we not big enough to do that???

I guess the answer is NO.

I pray that Hurley is what everyone thinks he is.. I just don’t see it.. It’s my opinion.. Everyone has one and I respect theirs.

 

[intlzncster]

Hurley is the best legitimate candidate. I have trouble with some of the offensive metrics over the years. I think he will recruit well, will field a good defensive team and develop talent. He has a high floor. That's a good start.

His offense has looked the way it has with the same core of perimeter players. I have no idea what it looked like at Wagner. Whose to say it won't be different with different talent at UCONN? You see the best coaches like Calipari and K install entirely different offensive philosophies depending on their talent. Maybe that will be Hurley.

All that makes sense. He definitely has some developing to do. I'm hoping that happens. I've heard he's learned a lot from Tom Moore this year, so at least he's open.

I'm curious as to how his offense will go with more dynamic players, assuming he gets them. EC Matthews is a player, but I don't think Hurley's had anybody like Jaylen.

Now if he manages to recruit the right guys for his system, then I'm OK. That's what Jay Wright does.

 

[kemba]

And wait until June to maaaaaybe be able to get him. He very well might not even be fired. I'd love Donovan. Pure pipedream.

UCONN is a very good job. But it's not Duke, UK, Kansas, UNC etc. People aren't jumping from a decent top 30 job for UCONN. You'd have to offer $4m+

Yes, and even if we were Duke, UNC, etc. Donovan would not be realistic for the reasons you stated.

Landing Hurley would show we haven't really fallen off as far as quality of the head coaching job. If Ollie had been successful and he was leaving for the NBA, I think he'd still be a great candidate for us.

 

[JMick]

All that makes sense. He definitely has some developing to do. I'm hoping that happens. I've heard he's learned a lot from Tom Moore this year, so at least he's open.

I'm curious as to how his offense will go with more dynamic players, assuming he gets them. EC Matthews is a player, but I don't think Hurley's had anybody like Jaylen.

Now if he manages to recruit the right guys for his system, then I'm OK. That's what Jay Wright does.

I was really impressed with how his team didn't give up at all today. They were getting smoked towards the end and were still diving for loose balls and going at 100%

 

[Walker11]

People are looking at how he trotted out three guards this year and are basically saying that's how Ollie coached so what's the difference. If you just go back a year he had two forwards contributing more than any big here since Shonn Miller

The fact is that the vast majority of people giving their opinion are casual college basketball fans, including myself this past year and don't really have an opinion that deserves to be valued. Bluedog and champs watch more college basketball than anyone on here and aren't elated. Not that that means anything in this particular instance but I value their opinion more than the guy who watched 3 URI games this year (me). A lot of people legitimately only watch Uconn. I like the guy. I'd say I'm a 7/10.

 

[Vuce]

I am not saying I have a candidate. Like I said it’s disappointing that Hurley is the best we can do..

It’s the AD’s job he gets paid a pile of money to get us a coach... It’s not like other AD’s have not gone out and snagged another teams HC.

Are we not big enough to do that???

I guess the answer is NO.

I pray that Hurley is what everyone thinks he is.. I just don’t see it.. It’s my opinion.. Everyone has one and I respect theirs.

Once again....if Hurley is “disappointing” to you, who are you comparing him to that would be available?

 

[djct1999]

And wait until June to maaaaaybe be able to get him. He very well might not even be fired. I'd love Donovan. Pure pipedream.

UCONN is a very good job. But it's not Duke, UK, Kansas, UNC etc. People aren't jumping from a decent top 30 job for UCONN. You'd have to offer $4m+

Even if Billy Donovan is fired today, he is not coming toUConn. Get real people. Donovan isn't a pipe dream. He is what comes 3x after a pipe dream. There is no way he comes here.

 

[intlzncster]

I pray that Hurley is what everyone thinks he is.. I just don’t see it.. It’s my opinion.. Everyone has one and I respect theirs.

Honestly, nobody knows. We're just trying to make an educated guess.

I think it's harder to pull guys from schools, and situations where they are comfortable, if it's not to a marquee school. We are probably on par as a job with a lot of Top 20-30 schools. It's hard to pull someone from one of those to another one without just busting the bank.

It's usually teams hiring other schools assistants, or an up and coming mid major guy. Like Florida hiring Mike White.

 

[intlzncster]

Even if Billy Donovan is fired today, he is not coming toUConn. Get real people. Donovan isn't a pipe dream. He is what comes 3x after a pipe dream. There is no way he comes here.

Agree with that.

 

[JMick]

The fact is that the vast majority of people giving their opinion are casual college basketball fans, including myself this past year and don't really have an opinion that deserves to be valued. Bluedog and champs watch more college basketball than anyone on here and aren't elated. Not that that means anything in this particular instance but I value their opinion more than the guy who watched 3 URI games this year (me). A lot of people legitimately only watch Uconn. I like the guy. I'd say I'm a 7/10.

I get that people are a little trepidatious but I just wish they'd be reasonable. It seems like Hurley will be a high floor/medium ceiling type coach. If we are in the hunt for a tourney bid every year and put together a top 25 team every couple years with some sweet sixteens it will be measurably better than what we had seen under Ollie. His teams play hard, his players love him, and he's overachieved & rebuilt programs everywhere he has been. The resume is solid.

 

[djct1999]

Take a snapshot of where we are today. Project where we want to go. Dan Hurley checks all of the boxes. He is the perfect hire and rather than nitpick, recognize he is the best we can do. If we hire Hurley, we are the lucky ones.

 

[Walker11]

I get that people are a little trepidatious but I just wish they'd be reasonable. It seems like Hurley will be a high floor/medium ceiling type coach. If we are in the hunt for a tourney bid every year and put together a top 25 team every couple years with some sweet sixteens it will be measurably better than what we had seen under Ollie. His teams play hard, his players love him, and he's overachieved & rebuilt programs everywhere he has been. The resume is solid.

I totally agree with everything. I just want to be competitive so I can be invested in this sport I have always loved watching.

 

[intlzncster]

Bluedog and champs watch more college basketball than anyone on here and aren't elated. Not that that means anything in this particular instance but I value their opinion more than the guy who watched 3 URI games this year (me). A lot of people legitimately only watch Uconn. I like the guy. I'd say I'm a 7/10.

That's probably where I'm at. I'm happy to bet on those odds. Might work out, might not.

I've a hard time finding somebody else who'd fit. I liked Nate Oats' team during the tournament. If I woke up tomorrow and he was my coach I'd be excited. Nervous as hell, but excited.

 

[JMick]

That's probably where I'm at. I'm happy to bet on those odds. Might work out, might not.

I've a hard time finding somebody else who'd fit. I liked Nate Oats' team during the tournament. If I woke up tomorrow and he was my coach I'd be excited. Nervous as hell, but excited.

I just have this sinking feeling that Nate Oats is going to repeat his success next year, Boheim is going to retire and he's going to coach 'cuse and do wonders there. No rhyme or reason for it, just know it will be our luck that we had no choice but to hire a guy this year

 

[HuskyHawk]

I am not saying I have a candidate. Like I said it’s disappointing that Hurley is the best we can do..

It’s the AD’s job he gets paid a pile of money to get us a coach... It’s not like other AD’s have not gone out and snagged another teams HC.

Are we not big enough to do that???

I guess the answer is NO.

I pray that Hurley is what everyone thinks he is.. I just don’t see it.. It’s my opinion.. Everyone has one and I respect theirs.

He is another team’s head coach. Please name a name. Who do you want? Mack at Xavier? Yeah, me too. He’s made it clear he’s staying there. Who else? Bill Self isn’t leaving. Nor Izzo. Nor Mark Few. I simply don’t understand the issue or view that we are settling by landing the guy who is probably the most sought after young coach available.

Let me put it this way, UConn is strong enough to land Hurley. About 2/3 of P5 schools probably aren’t. Let that sink in.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Has Hurley ever coached a D1 big man ????? How about a decent player over 6-9 ?

Also without sufficient knowledge nor experience to judge and without suggesting Hurley will become the second coming of Jim Calhoun, somehow the latter managed to teach and coach some fairly successful big UConn big men. And, sufficiently successful that a few earned some reasonably big NBA dollars after playing in Storrs.

On the other hand @Captbluefin , guess how many big men JC coached with Northeastern? Stretch it to only 6'9"; the answer would be all of one. As in a single NU Huskies' player 6'9" tall played for JC on Huntington Avenue. Over 6'9"? Goose egg!

JC wasn't the first and won't be the last successful coach to recruit, teach, motivate and coach fairly big and truly big men alike to box out, work harder, and even succeed as college hoops' big men. Additionally, Hurley, or Oats or whomever UConn hires, may not achieve such success. However, direct past experience or not may not rule out the possibility ... not so different than when JC arrived in Storrs.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Once again....if Hurley is “disappointing” to you, who are you comparing him to that would be available?

I don't believe you'll get an answer from @Captbluefin on this. The totality of his relatively small number of posts gives me cause to wonder about his motives here. I can and have suggested the same about some others.

What most strikes me is how currently I have a higher confidence in a number of posters who I've had on Ignore for quite some time. Clearly, there were intentional disrupters in the post-season last year. No reason to believe it won't be or already isn't the same this year.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The fact is that the vast majority of people giving their opinion are casual college basketball fans, including myself this past year and don't really have an opinion that deserves to be valued. Bluedog and champs watch more college basketball than anyone on here and aren't elated. Not that that means anything in this particular instance but I value their opinion more than the guy who watched 3 URI games this year (me). A lot of people legitimately only watch Uconn. I like the guy. I'd say I'm a 7/10.

I haven’t seen URI enough either. Here is my take. His dad was a legendary coach. His brother is a good coach. He took a HS team and made it a power. He made Wagner a winner. He made URI a winner.

So do I think he has everything figured out and is at the coach K level? No. Nor is anyone we could hire. Not a single person. So what I’m ok gambling on is Dan Hurley the man. He likes UConn a lot. He likes New England and the northeast. He smart...smart enough to know what he doesn’t know and listen and learn. He’s firey and passionate. I think he’s an immediate upgrade who can grow here. I’d love to see him adopt a modern offense. Don’t know if he will. If he’s smart enough to adjust to his players, that will be enough. Ollie never did.