Dan Hurley opts to remain at UConn, turns down LA Lakers job offer

Two-time national champion head coach Dan Hurley has opted to remain with the UConn Huskies, instead of moving to the NBA to coach the Los Angeles Lakers.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news on Monday afternoon, writing this tweet:

“BREAKING: Connecticut’s Dan Hurley has turned down the Los Angeles Lakers’ six-year, $70 million offer and will return to chase a third straight national title, sources tell ESPN. LA would’ve made him one of NBA’s six highest paid coaches. “

It had previously been reported that the LA Lakers were targeting Hurley to be the team’s next head coach. It was also reported that the Lakers were preparing a massive and long-term offer for Hurley to lure him away from UConn. Despite those reports, a deal was never finalized between the two sides.

Dan 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.

For the Los Angeles Lakers, Dan Hurley opting to stay at UConn sends the team back to the drawing board.

Since moving on from Phil Jackson after the 2010-2011 season, the Lakers have had seven different head coaches. During that time, only Frank Vogel won a championship with the team, which came during the pandemic-impacted season with the Lakers winning inside of the bubble.

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.

One thing that is clear now is that Dan Hurley will not be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, he’s staying at UConn to go for the three-peat.