Dan Hurley admits his wife had strong reaction to Lakers interest
Mar 27, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley smiles at a reporters question at a press conference before their practice in preparation for their East semifinal game against San Diego State at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Dan Hurley dropped another potential hint about why he decided not to leave UConn for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Hurley admitted in an appearance on “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” on Thursday that his wife Andrea was initially “violently angry” at Hurley being willing to even consider the Laker job. Hurley made clear, however, that she ultimately warmed up to the possibility.
“Our lives couldn’t be better and now you’re bringing this sh*t?…she warmed up when she got out there…
…We have a real beautiful connection here…in the end, it’s probably the deciding factor.”
– Dan Hurley shares how his wife handled this process as well as the reasons he… pic.twitter.com/hCcQX4mrnp
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) June 13, 2024
“She was crying in the beginning,” Hurley admitted. “I think initially, the first couple days of it, she got violently angry and emotional. Not like hitting me and stuff, not ‘get away from me, I don’t want to consider this, you’re torturing me with this incredible opportunity, you horrible human being.’ She got emotional, ‘I can’t believe you’re bringing this. Our life is so great, it’s perfect. Our lives couldn’t be better and now you’re bringing this s–t.
“She was bad in the beginning, but then she warmed up to it when we got out there and she met Rob (Pelinka) and she met Jeannie (Buss) and felt the weather. We drove around Manhattan Beach and just met the people, and she saw the vision of it. She was into it, but then when we got back to Connecticut, without having made a decision, we got back home and we both flipped back.”
It certainly sounds like, even if Hurley’s wife ultimately warmed up to the idea, she was never entirely enthusiastic. Perhaps that is a big part of why Hurley wasn’t either.
Hurley made clear that he wasn’t trying to gain leverage while speaking in the same interview. His interest appears to have been genuine, but it does not sound like he was ever really leaning toward taking the Laker job. For now, he is simply comfortable with where he is.
