Dan Hurley went through a full range of emotions following UConn’s loss to Florida in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
Florida made some timely three-pointers late to beat UConn 77-75 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. The two-time defending national champion Huskies led for much of the game but were unable to hold Florida off, ending their pursuit of a record third straight title.
The game was the final one at UConn for seniors Haasan Diarra, Alex Karaban and Samson Johnson, who have all played key roles in helping Hurley etch his place in college basketball history.
After the loss, a reporter asked Hurley to talk about what the three aforementioned players have meant to the UConn program. The coach was unable to hold back tears.
“They change your life. Men like that change your life,” Hurley said. “I was a coach … I don’t know if I was necessarily on the hot seat going into 2023, you’d have to ask (athletic director) Dave Benedict. But, until these men, until Alex Karaban put on the uniform, and Haasan and Samson … the players change your life when you have some special people.”
Dan Hurley was very emotional when asked about his @UConnMBB players:
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 23, 2025
"They change your life." pic.twitter.com/tiIcIB2gBv
Hurley was also emotional while speaking with CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson after the game. He appeared to get choked up when praising his team for playing “with tremendous honor.”
"There's honor in the way we went out."
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 23, 2025
An emotional Dan Hurley spoke with @tracywolfson after UConn's second round loss pic.twitter.com/cnjqUW0VO3
Karaban thought about declaring for the NBA Draft last year but decided to return for his senior season. He started 32 games and averaged 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds. Hurley was openly angry when Karaban was not named a preseason All-American.
Diarra made 27 starts this season and Johnson started 33 games. Both players saw their roles grow significantly.
Hurley is arguably college basketball’s most polarizing figure because of the success he has had and the way he wears his emotions on his sleeve. We saw plenty of examples of that on Sunday, including with the profane message he had about the officiating.
Many fans were thrilled to see Hurley’s team eliminated, but no one will ever accuse the coach of not caring about his players.
