Admit you love it. This isn't about true or not, it's a gut read. Call it a hot take, conversational fodder. Nothing firm about it, could easily be totally off. Rationale:
Only 55? You think there is a massive market for first time NBA HC's in their 60's? Hurley hasn't spent a day on the bench of an NBA franchise. Look around the league, HC's are pretty darned young and the ones that are older are lifelong NBA guys/ex players. Who knows what his marketability is in 2030. With all the movement in college sports annually, hard to predict what your perception is 5 years from now in a what have you done lately sport. What he has now is recognition that he's the best college coach in the game. Bill Self had that two years ago - what's his perception now?
It's kind of downhill after a B2B. Once that emotional momentum/high runs out, could really see him losing the stoke in the portal era. Another one bit the dust this week a few months after going to the F4. Pearl had an extension through 2030.
B2B got him out from being the third Hurley, check. He's contemplated moving on two years in a row, check. He's pumping a book, squeezing it in while he's still at the top. He's keeping his assistants and succession plan close, how long can they be patient? The last interview he talked about it didn't give me any firm feeling he's sticking around long term. He talks about it really matter of factly, pretty business like, leaves an out.
How tied is Hurley to Uconn when his Dad tells him to take the LAL job, a guy that stuck with the same HS program for decades? This is an urban jersey fam.
2 years gives him an opportunity to win two more titles, see through a class he's really close to. That 2027 year is going to be starting with a really bare slate of home growns. Two more years gives him either an opportunity to cement his legacy and go out on top, or tap out if starting to water down and to preserve some mystique.
The college coaching game is becoming a young coaches system fast. It's about running an operation, not as much passing wisdom down to young kids across 3-4 years anymore. As much a COO as a CEO. Getting harder and harder to find continuum with culture when you have to promise freshmen PT to come, that's the part Hurley thrives in.
