Two-time national champion UConn coach Dan Hurley turned down the Los Angeles Lakers job a year ago, and it did not take long after the New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau for him to become top of mind for a potential move to the NBA. Hurley, according to the Hartford Courant’s Dom Amore, brushed off a question about the Knicks’ opening with a concise response: “Not another summer of that.”
Questions about Hurley’s interest in the Knicks position arose not only because of his near move to the NBA last offseason but also because of his strong ties to the region. The Jersey City, N.J. native grew up in close proximity to Madison Square Garden and has never coached outside of the Northeast.
Hurley, last summer, received an offer to coach the Lakers on a six-year, $70 million deal. He met with Lakers brass, talked to LeBron James, visited team facilities and heavily pondered the opportunity before he ultimately decided to remain at UConn for the 2024-25 season. He admitted it was a “hard choice” and recognized the opportunity that stood before him, but the college game called him back to campus.
The return to UConn last season came amid a hunt for a third-straight national championship. While there is no such streak to keep alive this year, Hurley emphasized his excitement for the roster he built in Storrs, Conn. in the same conversation he addressed the Knicks situation.
“Two days into practice, not everyone is on campus, but we’re thrilled with the way we’ve been able to put it together,” Hurley said to the Hartford Courant. “Keeping the critical sophomore class together, keeping A.K. (Alex Karaban), Tarris (Reed), too, those were big for us and then to address point guard in a major way, a big need area.”
Hurley holds 15 years of Division I head coaching experience and reached the pinnacle of college basketball five years into his UConn tenure. His back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024 asserted him as one of the top active coaches in the sport. He has now reached the NCAA Tournament in five consecutive years and boasts a 165-69 record for his tenure with the Huskies.
The Knicks are in search of a new coach just days after they fell out of the NBA playoffs in the Eastern Conference finals. Their investment into a star-studded roster produced their best postseason run since 2000, but falling short of the NBA Finals was a disappointment and one that ultimately sparked a change in leadership. Thibodeau, in total, went 226-174 over five seasons at the helm and won a Coach of the Year award earlier in the franchise’s climb back to championship contention.
Read the full article here
