Dan Hurley on staying at UConn, turning down Lakers: 'Humbled by this entire experience'

Dan Hurley turned down the Los Angeles Lakers and chose to stay at UConn in a landmark move for college basketball Monday.

Hurley, who’s led the Huskies to two straight national titles, is squarely focused on a third championship. He turned down a six-year, $70 million deal from LA, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Hurley released a statement on his decision to stay in Storrs.

“I am humbled by this entire experience,” Hurley said in a statement. “At the end of the day, I am extremely proud of the championship culture we have built at Connecticut. We met as a team before today’s workout and our focus right now is getting better this summer and connecting as a team as continue to pursue championships.”

UConn athletic director David Benedict also released a statement on Hurley’s decision.

“We are thrilled that Dan Hurley has made the decision to stay at UConn and continue building upon our championship tradition,” he said. “He has helped return our men’s basketball program back to the pinnacle of the sport, including back-to-back NCAA Championships, and we’re grateful for his loyalty to UConn.

“We look forward to Dan’s continued leadership on and off the court at UConn. He will continue to bring great pride to Husky fans everywhere as we work toward a three-peat.”

Hurley first got to UConn in 2018. During that time, he oversaw the Huskies’ transition from the AAC back into the Big East. He also, in the process, rebuilt the program and led them to the NCAA Tournament in four straight seasons.

That included runs to win the national championship in both 2023 and 2024. Now, he’s set to return for the 2024-25 season with the goal of winning a third straight national title.

Prior to his time at UConn, Hurley was the head coach at Rhode Island and Wagner. He also played his own college basketball at Seton Hall and comes from a basketball family, with his father and brother both coaching the sport as well.

It now looks like the championship window is starting to close for Los Angeles. LeBron James, who has been with the team since 2018 and spanning three coaches already, is now 39 years old. While he still plays at an elite level, his age is a concern. On top of that, Anthony Davis is now on the wrong side of 30 years old.

Where the Lakers go from here is going to be interesting. Previously, one of the biggest name candidates who seemed like they were in a position to land the job was J.J. Reddick. A former NBA player himself, Reddick doesn’t have the same experience coaching as someone like Hurley, though he has worked as an analyst and knows the game well.