Nobody ever said UConn men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley lacked confidence.
Hurley became a trending topic on Tuesday during the Huskies’ game against the Butler Bulldogs at XL Center in Hartford, Conn. The 52-year-old coach had a heated moment with a referee that went viral on social media.
UConn led Butler 37-27 with just under three minutes left in the first half. The Huskies committed a turnover, which Hurley felt was only due to a missed call by the referees.
Hurley confronted referee Nathan Farrell about the play, but the official walked away as the UConn coach pleaded his case. Based on some amateur reading of his lips and body language, Hurley appeared to feel completely disrespected by the incident.
“You listen to me,” Hurley seemed to say. “Don’t turn your back on me. I’m the best coach in the f—ing sport.”
Dan Hurley: “Don’t turn your back on me. I’m the best coach in the f***ing sport.” pic.twitter.com/XLNyJPYyYd
— Eli Hershkovich (@EliHershkovich) January 22, 2025
Hurley is no stranger to berating referees. The UConn coach may have cost his team a win earlier this season after he blew up at a referee in a game against Memphis during the Maui Invitational.
It’s been a frustrating year for Hurley and his Huskies squad. After back-to-back NCAA titles, the expectations surrounding UConn were understandably sky-high. UConn entered Tuesday’s game ranked 19th in the country after beginning the season third in the AP poll.
Last season, UConn only had three losses all season. The Huskies already have five losses through its first 18 games of the 2024-25 campaign.
