Geno Auriemma: Dan Hurley would be 'crazy' to not take Lakers job if contract is right

Geno Auriemma actually talked to Dan Hurley about the Los Angeles Lakers but the UConn women’s basketball coach had no idea what would happen Thursday.

The Lakers are targeting Hurley, who’s won back to back titles with the men’s team. It would be a splash hire and Hurley would make the jump to the NBA.

If Hurley is offered what is being reported as a “full court press” by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Auriemma said the two time champion would be crazy not to go to LA.

“If Danny were to leave, and somebody said to me, you know, he just took this NBA job,” Auriemma said on the Dan Patrick Show. “I won’t name any particular city, I would say, you know, you’re set up for failure. But it’s the Lakers and I don’t know the details of it, but if you’re saying hey, I want a 10 year deal. I want the same deal Brad Stevens got at Boston … Then you know what? Andrea, his wife might not like me, but he’s crazy if he doesn’t take it.”

Auriemma was at a function with Hurley Wednesday and actually brought up the Lakers. The team has a coaching vacancy and JJ Redick was a reported top candidate. 

Will Dan Hurley leave UConn for Lakers?

The former NBA and Duke star has no prior coaching experience and is currently a broadcaster for ESPN.

“It’s really funny because I happened to be at a thing with him last night, and I have no idea what’s going on, you know, I have no idea where this is going and what’s happening,” Auriemma said. “But I said, just leaned over and I said, ‘Hey, I think you can win a lot of championships with the Lakers. You know, more so than a guy who’s never coached.’ 

“And he just looked at me and nodded, and we had a good laugh. And then this morning, I wake up and voila, so I don’t know what’s going on. It’d be a bad day for UConn for sure if this happens, and it would be a great, great day for Dan Hurley and I’m sure a bittersweet day for Dan Hurley.”

There’s talk this conversation is legit due to college basketball being what it is. If Hurley is going to coach pros, you might as well do it at the actual professional level.

“I think the state of college basketball is a mess,” Auriemma said. “If anybody could manage it, though, it would be Danny. Because he coaches this program like it’s a high school program like he coached the St. Benedict’s. Their player development program is second to none. But I do think that being at UConn and given the state of college basketball, the amount of money now that it’s going to take to be able to put together a national championship team every single year and without knowing where it’s going, it’s a charade. 

“This idea of student athlete welfare, every single thing that comes out of the NCAA’s mouth about student athlete welfare, mental health, it’s bull (expletive). That has no factor ever anymore, and I never want to hear anybody under those words associated with college basketball. They’re professional athletes, just not called that. So you might as well go coach professional athletes where it’s real.”