UConn men's basketball head coach Dan Hurley turned down a lucrative offer from the Los Angeles Lakers to stay with the Huskies. Hurley explains his decision, debunks leverage rumors, and reveals details of his meeting with LeBron James.
Dan Hurley, the two-time national championship-winning head coach of UConn men's basketball, has opened up about his decision to reject a lucrative contract offer from the Los Angeles Lakers and remain with the Huskies.
Hurley, who has led UConn to back-to-back national titles, made it clear that he did not spurn the Lakers' offer to gain leverage with his current employer. He emphasized that he had already agreed to a new deal with UConn before declining the Lakers' proposal.
Dan Hurley's Decision to Return to UConn: The Inside Story
"One of the worst takes I've heard is that this is a leverage play by me to improve my situation at UConn," Hurley stated. "I don't need leverage here. We've won back-to-back national championships at this place. This was never a leverage situation for me."
Hurley, who coached last season on a six-year, $32.1 million deal, explained that he had been working on a new contract with UConn for several weeks. While the financial terms had been finalized, there were still some outstanding issues related to NIL and staff salaries that needed to be addressed.
Dan Hurley's Decision to Return to UConn: The Inside Story
"There are some other parts...that I want adjusted and I'm not comfortable with," Hurley said. "But the sense of the idea that this was some conspiracy to get me a sweeter deal at UConn is just, it's lazy."
Despite already having an agreement in place with UConn, Hurley did travel to Los Angeles to meet with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and team owner Jeanie Buss. However, he did not have any face-to-face contact with LeBron James.
Dan Hurley's Decision to Return to UConn: The Inside Story
"We had some text messages...an incredible message from [James] over the course of the weekend," Hurley revealed. "Just talking about basketball and some different things and letting me know that if he was there in LA that I would have his support."
Hurley admitted that deciding between coaching in Los Angeles and staying at UConn to pursue a third straight national championship was a difficult decision.
Dan Hurley's Decision to Return to UConn: The Inside Story
"It was a gut-wrenching decision for me," he said. "Sunday night, going into Monday, where I kind of had a deadline in my mind, I was torn, and I did not know really what I was going to do until I went to bed."
The lure of coaching in Los Angeles, with the opportunity to work alongside James, was certainly appealing. However, Hurley ultimately decided that his heart lay with UConn.
"To leave a place at any moment in your life, to say that it's not a motivating factor...the finances to leave a place is definitely a thing," Hurley said. "To stay at a place, I don't think it is ever going to be a thing. To stay somewhere like UConn, it would never have been a financial thing."
Hurley emphasized that financial compensation was not a primary factor in his decision. He was already on track to become the highest-paid college basketball coach.
"This wasn't like some pressure tactic to make me the highest-paid college coach," Hurley said. "That was already done."
Hurley's loyalty to UConn and his family ultimately prevailed. He acknowledged the importance of staying close to his wife, sons, and mother-in-law, as well as the special bond he had with his father and fans.
"To leave all of that behind, there probably is a number," Hurley said. However, he maintained that the connection he had with UConn and the opportunity to continue building a dynasty there were more valuable than any salary offer.
