Dan Hurley has enjoyed tremendous success at UConn over the past few seasons, and with great success comes lucrative job offers. It does not sound like the coach has any interest in leaving his current position, however.
When news broke earlier this week that John Calipari is leaving Kentucky to become the head coach at Arkansas, many speculated that Hurley will be Kentucky’s top target. After UConn defeated Purdue on Monday night to win their second consecutive national championship, Hurley was asked if he will entertain any conversations about jobs with other programs. The 51-year-old burst out laughing.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don’t think that’s a concern,” Hurley said. “You know, my wife — you should have her answer that. She’ll answer that question better than I can.”
Dan Hurley was asked about rumors about the Kentucky job:
"I don't think that's a concern." pic.twitter.com/WQEx7Wket8
— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) April 9, 2024
Hurley’s reaction seemed telling, though he did not explicitly say that he will be back at UConn next season. We’re guessing what he meant is that his wife would not be happy if he wanted to uproot his family and move.
As the reporter mentioned, Hurley also praised UConn administrators in an on-court interview after the Huskies’ 12th straight dominant performance in an NCAA Tournament game.
“UConn is a special place this time of year and they give us all the resources we need to do it like this in March and April,” Hurley said.
Dan Hurley after winning his second national title in a row: “UConn is a special place this time of year and they give us all the resources we need to do it like this in March and April.”
— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) April 9, 2024
All signs point to Hurley remaining at UConn. He has already won multiple championships and has a chance to build the type of legacy that Jim Calhoun built before him in Storrs. UConn’s program is also in a much better place currently than Kentucky’s, even if Kentucky has more financial resources.
Kentucky is reportedly planning to reach out to Hurley. If anything, Hurley could use the interest to get a raise from UConn, which he deserves.
Assuming Hurley does turn down the Wildcats, he will be at least the second big-name coach to remove himself from consideration for the job.
