the Q
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At this point stabilizing the ship to find that right guy works for me. I think that’s why jc is getting a lot of love here
Is Hurley Really The Answer?
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At this point stabilizing the ship to find that right guy works for me. I think that’s why jc is getting a lot of love here
Huskyforlife
Akokbouk
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Let Oats coach another few years at Buffalo, Hurley’s track record for building northeast programs(St Bennidicts, Wagner, URI), years as a head coach, and potential recruiting connections, all make him the best fit on paper. I love oats confidence, he looks like a future star, but he hasn’t accomplished enough to jump Hurley yet.
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First, let me say to and about Oats, Husky eyes, they're watching you.
But, I love what the guy has done and would not be averse to his coming to UConn. At the very least, UConn has options.
One of the things that is intriguing about Hurley is the way he opens up New Jersey for recruiting for UConn, and that is going to be huge for the school. If you have New England, NYC and New Jersey, that is prime recruiting territory.
But, I love what the guy has done and would not be averse to his coming to UConn. At the very least, UConn has options.
One of the things that is intriguing about Hurley is the way he opens up New Jersey for recruiting for UConn, and that is going to be huge for the school. If you have New England, NYC and New Jersey, that is prime recruiting territory.
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Hurley is a known program-builder. Multiple programs.
He has recruiting connections all over the Northeast and the country, and at least one highly qualified assistant in Tom Moore.
Oats could be the next Brad Stevens. Or he could flare out next year.
Hurley has an experienced team. He's also bringing 3* players to national relevance, a long stint in the top 25, and won a game in the NCAAs.
There are bigger names out there. And maybe we should consider going after them. Oats is not one of those bigger names.
What the AD needs to be finding out about Hurley:
How willing is he to adapt to the modern game? (Yesterdays shot charts seemed to indicate they were big on 3s and layups/dunks which is a good indicator. mid-range shots = bad these days.)
What assistants or adaptations will you make to offense? His offense is bad right now. Is that because of limited personnel? Or does he need to bring in an offensively minded coach to take control of that side of the ball?
How are you going to take the steps to grow as an in-game coach? His adjustments late this season have been just-okay.
Everything else he's doing well with. Their pressure D is astounding, he's developing players, almost no transfers, solid recruiting and connections in the area, history of program building etc.
He has recruiting connections all over the Northeast and the country, and at least one highly qualified assistant in Tom Moore.
Oats could be the next Brad Stevens. Or he could flare out next year.
Hurley has an experienced team. He's also bringing 3* players to national relevance, a long stint in the top 25, and won a game in the NCAAs.
There are bigger names out there. And maybe we should consider going after them. Oats is not one of those bigger names.
What the AD needs to be finding out about Hurley:
How willing is he to adapt to the modern game? (Yesterdays shot charts seemed to indicate they were big on 3s and layups/dunks which is a good indicator. mid-range shots = bad these days.)
What assistants or adaptations will you make to offense? His offense is bad right now. Is that because of limited personnel? Or does he need to bring in an offensively minded coach to take control of that side of the ball?
How are you going to take the steps to grow as an in-game coach? His adjustments late this season have been just-okay.
Everything else he's doing well with. Their pressure D is astounding, he's developing players, almost no transfers, solid recruiting and connections in the area, history of program building etc.
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Oats is a good Plan B. Doesn't have near the track record Hurley does of turning around multiple NE programs. I also pulled this from the Pitt board that pretty nicely sums up what Hurley brings (slightly edited for UConn readers):
1. He's 45, young by D1 P5 standards.
2. He has an outstanding track record as a coach. He elevated Wagner from 13-17 in his first season to 25-6 in his second and Rhode Island from 8-21 in his first season to 23-10 in Year 3, and now back-to-back NCAA appearances and a national ranking.
3. He coaches at a school that is a "near major." Rhode Island is much closer to P5 territory than, say, a Northern Iowa, Missouri State, College of Charleston type program. RI is in the Atlantic 10, which, while not a P5, includes four programs (Dayton, VCU, George Mason, and Davidson) that have appeared in the Elite 8 since 2006. Additionally, the conference is rarely, if ever, a one-bid conference, which the vast majority of true mid-major conferences are. In the past 10 years, the A10 has put 36 teams in the tourney, nearly 4/year. The numbers by conference are hard to come by, but other than the P5 and Big East, I'm not sure any other conference can boast that many bids during the past decade. Most mid-majors have 10 to 12 bids during that same decade. In short, Hurley is not a gamble like a Joe Dooley or Earl Grant would be. He has proved he can win against NCAA tourney-bound teams.
4. His last name is Hurley. That means something in and of itself. It has cache, with players and HS coaches.
5. He's intense and passionate and his track record suggests he would be expected to restore UConn more quickly than almost any other potential candidate.
6. Because of his name, his background as a former Big East player, his father and brother's legacies, NJ roots, and the location of his current coaching stint, he's ideally situated to help UConn capture NJ recruiting territory.
7. Did I mention his last name is Hurley?
1. He's 45, young by D1 P5 standards.
2. He has an outstanding track record as a coach. He elevated Wagner from 13-17 in his first season to 25-6 in his second and Rhode Island from 8-21 in his first season to 23-10 in Year 3, and now back-to-back NCAA appearances and a national ranking.
3. He coaches at a school that is a "near major." Rhode Island is much closer to P5 territory than, say, a Northern Iowa, Missouri State, College of Charleston type program. RI is in the Atlantic 10, which, while not a P5, includes four programs (Dayton, VCU, George Mason, and Davidson) that have appeared in the Elite 8 since 2006. Additionally, the conference is rarely, if ever, a one-bid conference, which the vast majority of true mid-major conferences are. In the past 10 years, the A10 has put 36 teams in the tourney, nearly 4/year. The numbers by conference are hard to come by, but other than the P5 and Big East, I'm not sure any other conference can boast that many bids during the past decade. Most mid-majors have 10 to 12 bids during that same decade. In short, Hurley is not a gamble like a Joe Dooley or Earl Grant would be. He has proved he can win against NCAA tourney-bound teams.
4. His last name is Hurley. That means something in and of itself. It has cache, with players and HS coaches.
5. He's intense and passionate and his track record suggests he would be expected to restore UConn more quickly than almost any other potential candidate.
6. Because of his name, his background as a former Big East player, his father and brother's legacies, NJ roots, and the location of his current coaching stint, he's ideally situated to help UConn capture NJ recruiting territory.
7. Did I mention his last name is Hurley?
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Geez talk about shiny objects!! It is one win against a very beatable team as others have said. AZ had a lot of hype but really didn't beat anyone this year. Sometimes the matchups in these tournaments match up well for the underdog. I agree that being a strong guard team that plays tough D, they can definitely beat KY. Again, it is a good match up for them.
From what I see from Buffalo, Oats has a great career ahead of him - hard nose coach that gets his kids to play tough. I think he still needs to prove himself before he could be considered for a big time job yet (whether UConn is a big time job is a different debate). Perhaps he lands at URI after Hurley leaves and works his way from there?
From what I see from Buffalo, Oats has a great career ahead of him - hard nose coach that gets his kids to play tough. I think he still needs to prove himself before he could be considered for a big time job yet (whether UConn is a big time job is a different debate). Perhaps he lands at URI after Hurley leaves and works his way from there?
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Having been at the Brendon Byrne arena back in 1990 I will never be able to say the name "Hurley" in a non-derogatory way. Don't care if its his brother. Other than my eternal hatred he seems fine.
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There are two types of programs. One type gets their first choice. The other has to reach on guys, project forward on a good win or season. Oats certainly has a bright future, but he falls in the reach category. UConn can't afford to reach on Oats. Hurley checks all the boxes. UConn needs to land him or its an epic fail.
the Q
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Great list and I agree.
I think Hurley is a good fit.
I like Oats and think he has tremendous upside. I'm just happy people are wiling to talk about him now.
HuskyHawk
The triumphant return of the Blues Brothers.
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Great stuff. I think Hurley is the guy. I mean, I literally think we've already offered and he has probably accepted in principle. Pitt isn't even looking at him by all accounts, and I think that's because he's wrapped up.
I like the shot chart. UConn took huge numbers of midrange jumpers. I think his offense is mostly limited by personnel. I hope that's the case.
I love the pressure defense. Executed well, by a team with quality depth, it can be devastating. It can overcome any limitations you have in your half court sets, by leading to more transition basketball. Ultimately, that's what I want most from UConn. A return to the form that brought us to the top of the Big East. Winning is great, but if we win by playing in the 50's, I'm still not going to be all that happy. Enough with the ugly basketball. I also find it encouraging that they defend the three point shot fiercely. That tells me that, unlike Ollie, he recognizes the role it plays in the modern game.
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That's also probably why you see a higher Defensive FG% that people on here are worried about including myself. When you close out hard, you leave yourselves open to drive. And URI doesn't have anyone over 6'8, I believe. Their center is like 270lbs. They have no one who can be a presence inside to make up for those kinds of mistakes.
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Read the book about his father. Was it Miracle at St. Anthony's or something? Hurley Sr. was about hardnose pressure man defense first and foremost. His son is his father's son. If you have to start somewhere, that's not a bad starting point. Two of our four 'ships were because we defended guards on the perimeter way, way better than anyone else.
gtcam
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I heard an interesting thing about the seniors on URI team - they were recruited by Hurley - Bobby Hurley recruited Matthews and the other 3 seniors not Danny
Heard it on Sirrius XM about the Buffalo coach who was recruited to Buffalo to coach by Bobby Hurley when he left URI - went to wikopedia to see if I could verify and presto - there it is
Bobby was at URI for only 1 year and handled all the recruitment for the team
Just a tidbit I thought I would throw in the mix
Hurley/Oats/Matta = not a very enticing choice but if you put a gun to my head and say pick one - I might roll the dice on the Oats guy, he would come at a better price tag and if you get Chills to stay it would cover recruitment for a while
Just a thought and a little concern about Danny's recruiting acumen
Heard it on Sirrius XM about the Buffalo coach who was recruited to Buffalo to coach by Bobby Hurley when he left URI - went to wikopedia to see if I could verify and presto - there it is
Bobby was at URI for only 1 year and handled all the recruitment for the team
Just a tidbit I thought I would throw in the mix
Hurley/Oats/Matta = not a very enticing choice but if you put a gun to my head and say pick one - I might roll the dice on the Oats guy, he would come at a better price tag and if you get Chills to stay it would cover recruitment for a while
Just a thought and a little concern about Danny's recruiting acumen
HuskyHawk
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Probably. Calhoun solved it by having shot blockers. We lead the nation in blocks for nine straight years. 2001-10. 2011 we were 14th. 2012 4th. 2013 nowhere to be found. 2014, 14th again. 2015 15th. 2016 24th. 2017 back to 12th, surprisingly. But the recent Ollie teams have left the three wide open to accomplish that.
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Brief snippet in this article on Hurley and George Blaney's relationship. Another plus for UConn.
Brief hoops hiatus turns into lifetime grip for Rhode Island coach Dan Hurley
After an outstanding playing career at St. Anthony, Hurley signed with nearby Seton Hall. Fans were hard on Hurley from the start and compared him with his older brother, Bobby, an All-American point guard who led Duke to two national championships.
He quit the team in December 1993 two games into his junior season, disillusioned and burned out from a game he said he had been "obsessed" with since childhood. The following summer, Seton Hall replaced coach P.J. Carlesimo with George Blaney, who helped convince Hurley to return.
"I wouldn't be involved in basketball if it wasn't for Coach," Hurley said of Blaney. "At the point that coach Blaney came into my life, the love-hate relationship that I had going with basketball was way, way closer to hate. Coach taught me that the game could be fun again and that it was OK to lose if you could look your teammates and your coaches in the eyes after the game and know that you gave your best effort. He saved my life in basketball."
Brief hoops hiatus turns into lifetime grip for Rhode Island coach Dan Hurley
After an outstanding playing career at St. Anthony, Hurley signed with nearby Seton Hall. Fans were hard on Hurley from the start and compared him with his older brother, Bobby, an All-American point guard who led Duke to two national championships.
He quit the team in December 1993 two games into his junior season, disillusioned and burned out from a game he said he had been "obsessed" with since childhood. The following summer, Seton Hall replaced coach P.J. Carlesimo with George Blaney, who helped convince Hurley to return.
"I wouldn't be involved in basketball if it wasn't for Coach," Hurley said of Blaney. "At the point that coach Blaney came into my life, the love-hate relationship that I had going with basketball was way, way closer to hate. Coach taught me that the game could be fun again and that it was OK to lose if you could look your teammates and your coaches in the eyes after the game and know that you gave your best effort. He saved my life in basketball."
the Q
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Whaley lead the team in blocks with 30.
That's not good. But Whaley was also only playing limited capacity. He was at 2.9 blocks per 40 minutes. Diarra and Carlton were both at 2 or higher blocks per 40 as well.
the bigs have some talent, but they all need to stay out of foul trouble, and definitely cannot be giving away dumb fouls on the offensive end.
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There is no definitive answer to this question. Only time will tell. One thing the NCAA tourney does is give air time to teams/coaches that we typically do not see; we see a team that surprises us & all of a sudden we fall in love with a coach - the love at 1st sight syndrome, the cover of the book.....
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It’s crazy that he took Xavier to a Sweet 16 and an Elite 8.
the Q
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should've been a FF.
The way they treated anthony myles in that duke game was an embarrassment to basketball.
Not sure why people are trying so hard to find an alternative to Hurley, OU was easily the much more talented team yesterday and Hurley's team won. Not sure what else you can expect out of a potential candidate than to overachieve with only decent/good talent.
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There have to be contrarians. It seems like such a no-brainer for all involved that people are going to start questioning if it's the too-easy choice.
It might be. Time will tell. But to most objective people, this would be a slam dunk. Some people will put in their nay-saying, and if Hurley is as good as we all hope, forget about it. If he fails here, people will point back to their doubts like it meant something. I'm guilty of that as much as anyone.
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You aren't wrong, just seems like there's better ways to use one's time than to nitpick a candidate that seems to check all the boxes in what you'd be looking for in an up and coming coach.
the Q
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For me, I just never liked having just ONE option.
Way too much risk there.
I'm cool if someone wants Hurley, but to not want to go into all the details and discuss other potential candidates if he doesn't come here seems crazy to me.
This is a very important hire and he's not a perfect candidate. He's a good candidate, but..
His team's offensive ranks are not exactly jumping off the page. Defense is fine. For perspective, Ollie's best offensive team was Napier and we finished ranked 39th, and Ollie has had essentially 3 seasons either right at or better than Hurley's best offensive season. The unknowable argument is how Hurley would do with Napier-level talent, and hopefully we get to see.
For the record, Nate Oats had Buffalo at 36 this year and Crean had 5 top 30 offenses in his last 6 years at Indiana (and 4 top 30s at Marquette). If there's one thing Crean can do, it's coach offense (Defense... from eh fine to not so good).
In summary, it's worth debating and thinking about other options. If people said "Don't even consider Danny Hurley", that would be one thing. But it's also not appropriate to act like he's a perfect flawless candidate.
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I know he would be hard to get out of the Big 10 and out of his alma mater, but damn, Matt Painter is one of the best young coaches out there. If we’re getting someone out of a contract, he should be on everyone’s list, especially ours. He’s amazing. And we should be thinking big. Not some hopefully this guy can make the leap to a blue chip program like UConn guy like Hurley...
I know, I know... no less ridiculous than the people holding out for Donovan. This would be better.
I know, I know... no less ridiculous than the people holding out for Donovan. This would be better.
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This is a very important hire and he's not a perfect candidate. He's a good candidate, but..
His team's offensive ranks are not exactly jumping off the page. Defense is fine. For perspective, Ollie's best offensive team was Napier and we finished ranked 39th, and Ollie has had essentially 3 seasons either right at or better than Hurley's best offensive season. The unknowable argument is how Hurley would do with Napier-level talent, and hopefully we get to see.
For the record, Nate Oats had Buffalo at 36 this year and Crean had 5 top 30 offenses in his last 6 years at Indiana (and 4 top 30s at Marquette). If there's one thing Crean can do, it's coach offense (Defense... from eh fine to not so good).
In summary, it's worth debating and thinking about other options. If people said "Don't even consider Danny Hurley", that would be one thing. But it's also not appropriate to act like he's a perfect flawless candidate.
Both the offense and defense seems to be trending in the right direction for Hurley. In defense of his offensive #'s, there's a limit to what you can get out of a bunch of 3-star guys mixed with a couple 4-star guys...most likely you won't be top 10 in offensive efficiency without some better recruits. Just my opinion...
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