Some really thoughtful self reflection and comments by Hurley.

[uconnyankee]

Jim Calhoun never won back-to-back national titles, at least as far as I recall. Maybe you remember differently

This is true. Its also true that Hurley’s book is still being written with many, many chapters to go.

when people talk about the greatest coaches in CBB, is Donovan top 5? Top 10? Calhoun is debatable in Top 5, certainly Top 10.

I think Calhoun is a great resource for Dan Hurley, and I think Dan Hurley respects Calhouns legacy in terms of what he built and the program he established. If Calhoun (or Geno) are talking to Dan, he’s listening and hopefully taking notes.

 

[uconnyankee]

That is exactly what he was doing in the games against Memphis and Colorado. You guys on TV did not even see most of it. During the game he was speed walking and yapping at the officials as they ran by him almost on every trip down the court. He was constantly yapping at them during TV timeouts and team called timeouts.

I am not saying the officiating was great, it was lousy (i.e. Memphis constantly getting away with reaching and putting their forearms across UConn players), but with his behavior in Maui it only exacerbated the problem.

You guys in the stands didn’t get half of it. During his half-time speech (or tirade), I thought he was going to lose his mind in the locker room….

 

[Deleted at users request]

You said Hurley had a "below average career" before coming to UConn. That is such bad-faith nonsense it undercuts any other point you try to make. He's still a hero at his two previous stops. He got the blue-blood UConn job because of his previous excellence. Performance you call below average.

He didn’t even make the tourney or win his conference at Wagner. At Rhode Island they won the conference once and went to the tourney twice making it to the R32.

Excellence is a big stretch man. We don’t have to be delusional.

In general we should stop disrespecting our great history saying things like Calhoun doesn’t know how it feels and I’ve even seen things like Cam was our best offensive player ever (at a program who’s had players like Ray Allen, Ben Gordon, Rip, etc. and that’s just at SG)

The excitement for where we our is understandable, but we’ve been here before. It’s great to be back and we still have to show we can have sustained excellence in a way Calhoun did for 20 years.

We’re well on track, but still have to do it.

 

[uconnyankee]

You really Straw man this whole argument. Who is talking about Goat or blue bloods? Danny after back to back, Lakers, espn coverage etc. is in rarefied air in a way that JC and Uconn have never been. Not lifetime accomplishments, but current status of program and its role in college basketball.

Lakers? lol…
I recall both Ollie and Calhoun in those discussions at one point in their careers.

If anything, it seems The Lakers regularly target UConn HC and have struck out every time.

 

[Stinger92860]

but also....hurley has realized nothing but more success year over year with uconn:
16-17 KP98
19-12 KP52
COVID
23-10 KP22
31-8 KP1 Natty
37-3 KP1 Natty

and now, we're taking a step back. It's bound to happen...the line doesn't go up and right forever, and I think It took Maui for Dan Hurley to realize that he has to adapt too as his teams change. Learning moment for him that he can't just work harder and then end up frustrated to will his teams to the level they were the past two years....sometimes you gotta meat the players where they are...and the Baylor game showed him doing that.

We lost 2 games in Maui which would have been a win with one more winning possesion or one less technical. We can get our s..t together and have a top 15 season. Lot’s of time left.

 

[temery]

He didn’t even make the tourney or win his conference at Wagner. At Rhode Island they won the conference once and went to the tourney twice making it to the R32.

Excellence is a big stretch man. We don’t have to be delusional.

In general we should stop disrespecting our great history saying things like Calhoun doesn’t know how it feels and I’ve even seen things like Cam was our best offensive player ever (at a program who’s had players like Ray Allen, Ben Gordon, Rip, etc. and that’s just at SG)

The excitement for where we our is understandable, but we’ve been here before. It’s great to be back and we still have to show we can have sustained excellence in a way Calhoun did for 20 years.

We’re well on track, but still have to do it.

Lost in all this is the fact that UConn men never won a championship until The Boneyard existed. I'm just sayin'.

 

[Huskybass]

Jim Calhoun never won back-to-back national titles, at least as far as I recall. Maybe you remember differently

And never won them in such convincing fashion. I love JC, always will, but Dan Hurley has a unique resume. His winning % at UConn went up in each of his first six years, culminating with dominant back to back National Championships. JC NEVER had a run like that.

 

[Waquoit]

Hurley got the UConn job based on the Hurley name and his last two years at Rhode Island.

Why are you continuing to dig?

 

[temery]

Why are you continuing to dig?

It's kinda easy when digging someone else's resting place.

 

[temery]

And never won them in such convincing fashion. I love JC, always will, but Dan Hurley has a unique resume. His winning % at UConn went up in each of his first six years, culminating with dominant back to back National Championships. JC NEVER had a run like that.

In Calhoun's last 25 years, he did not have a losing season, and his winning % was better than Hurley's at this point. His overall win/loss record was 70%; 64% at Northeastern; 72% at UConn, and 73% at St. Joseph's.

Worth noting: Hurley only had one winning season at Wagner.

 

[Chief00]

We made some mistakes on the starting lineups, roles and rotations. Ironically, if anything, we undervalued the Sophomore class in the pre and early season. Mahaney was a journey, evolving to a shooter’s role off the bench. The point guard thing Chief could never understand even as far back as the August scrimmage.

Did we fall in love with Euro Ball at the expense of Hurley UConn defense?

But as I said after Maui, we were not a 3 Peat team in the summer nor were we as bad as people said prior to the Baylor game. We are a work in progress and now moving in the right direction.

However, we lost about 2 months on some bad decisions and we will need to continue to fix those errors while playing against really good teams.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Chief sticking to Euro Ball. We won 2 titles with it, and we certainly are running a good offense again this year. Need to improve the D. Cmon Chief, you are better than this.

 

[RuffRuff]

Chief sticking to Euro Ball. We won 2 titles with it, and we certainly are running a good offense again this year. Need to improve the D. Cmon Chief, you are better than this.

And the metrics show sophomore class lowest rated on team, so not sure they’re being undervalued as they all get time and one of them starts. If anything they were overhyped, and all of our expectations were out of whack.

 

[uh-no]

Chief sticking to Euro Ball. We won 2 titles with it, and we certainly are running a good offense again this year. Need to improve the D. Cmon Chief, you are better than this.

yeah that's nonsensical.

 

[HooperScooper]

Chief sticking to Euro Ball. We won 2 titles with it, and we certainly are running a good offense again this year. Need to improve the D. Cmon Chief, you are better than this.

He's still around spewing nonsense?

 

[Stinger92860]

Chief sticking to Euro Ball. We won 2 titles with it, and we certainly are running a good offense again this year. Need to improve the D. Cmon Chief, you are better than this.

No he is not.

 

[Inyatkin]

Hurley got the UConn job based on the Hurley name and his last two years at Rhode Island. I'll throw in his positive attitude and work ethic - He's a cross between Billy Mays and the energizer bunny on Adderall.

Prior to that, his record was a little better than 50% at two low to mid major conferences.

And I'll repeat - he was a great hire.

Yes, this is how UConn makes hires. Based on the guy's last name. That's why Jeff Calhoun is our coach.

 

[mauconnfan]

One thing Hurley has over Calhoun is he doesn't coach through fear. I had a friend with tickets behind the bench in the 90s and I went to pretty much every game. Calhoun wasn't in the same league as Bobby Knight as far as being an ass, but he was close. To his credit, Calhoun did lighten up once the tournament started.

Call it what you wish but he was damn good at it. It worked and his players still love him. I call it tough love not fear!

Still the goat!

 

[Improviser]

Yes, this is how UConn makes hires. Based on the guy's last name. That's why Jeff Calhoun is our coach.

Off the court, Calhoun is the Senior Vice President of Wheels Up, a private aviation company based in New York City.

Maybe, he can coach the pilots on the team plane or offer his plane in a pinch.

 

[Mr. French]

Hurley got the UConn job based on the Hurley name and his last two years at Rhode Island. I'll throw in his positive attitude and work ethic - He's a cross between Billy Mays and the energizer bunny on Adderall.

Prior to that, his record was a little better than 50% at two low to mid major conferences.

And I'll repeat - he was a great hire.

This is one of the most insane things I’ve read on here, just considering the context.

 

[RuffRuff]

Call it what you wish but he was damn good at it. It worked and his players still love him. I call it tough love not fear!

Still the goat!

JC is old school and that’s ok. Kids were tougher then and that style was accepted. His strength was the psychology of the sport, and motivation. I’ve heard plenty of stuff of what was said inside the walls that wouldn’t fly on any level today.

 

[temery]

Call it what you wish but he was damn good at it. It worked and his players still love him. I call it tough love not fear!

Still the goat!

Call it what you want, but the farther from him on the bench, the more likely they were mouthing screw u once he turned his back.

 

[temery]

Yes, this is how UConn makes hires. Based on the guy's last name. That's why Jeff Calhoun is our coach.

Calhoun left under a bit of a cloud, and his hand picked successor's success was short lived, to say the least.

Hurley senior was a probation officer who coached a nationally recognized powerhouse high school team and never cashed in for money or fame.

 

[Waquoit]

It's kinda easy when digging someone else's resting place.

What I like about this post is that it shows that you had no idea you lost the debate the second you inaccurately slagged Dan's pre-UConn coaching career. You admitted that your existing argument wasn't good enough. The rest since then, like the above, is just a stab at face-saving.

 

[HailUConn]

 

[mauconnfan]

Call it what you want, but the farther from him on the bench, the more likely they were mouthing screw u once he turned his back.

If they were further down the bench they weren’t playing and most kids want to play. No coach is liked if a kid isn’t getting PT from him, simple.

 

[gsmooth]

You guys in the stands didn’t get half of it. During his half-time speech (or tirade), I thought he was going to lose his mind in the locker room….

Oh wow. No I didn't see that.

 

[Deleted at users request]

And the metrics show sophomore class lowest rated on team, so not sure they’re being undervalued as they all get time and one of them starts. If anything they were overhyped, and all of our expectations were out of whack.

Will continue not to understand how a class with one starter who almost was recruited over is overhyped.

It’s not like we handed these guys the keys. Should none of them get playing time?

That’s like the only way to expect less of them.

 

[RuffRuff]

Will continue not to understand how a class with one starter who almost was recruited over is overhyped.

It’s not like we handed these guys the keys. Should none of them get playing time?

That’s like the only way to expect less of them.

Did you not hear Hurley running through the “leaps” and first round looking talent in September? I know my ears perked up.

 

[JohnFSilver]

I assume you're joking. If not, you are out of your freakin' mind. Hurley needs at a minimum ten consecutive years of dominance, with at least eight deep runs in the dance, to be considered a peer of JC, Izzo, and the old man.

Hurley has been stellar. But let’s pump breaks. Sustained excellence is difficult. He will do it. But don’t denigrate what JC, Izzo, K, and like have done.