Did Geno Auriemma inspire Dan Hurley to consider Lakers job?

Mar 8, 2020; Uncasville, CT, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma watches from the sideline as they take on the South Florida Bulls in the second half of the American Conference Championship Semifinals at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Hurley is entertaining the possibility of leaving UConn to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, and some are wondering if a conversation with Geno Auriemma has something to do with it.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski stunned the basketball world on Thursday morning when he reported that the Lakers are making a strong push to hire Hurley. Auriemma, who has coached the UConn women’s basketball team for nearly 40 years, discussed the big news during an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show.”

Auriemma said he mentioned the Lakers job to Hurley when the two coaches were together at an event on Wednesday evening. Auriemma claims the remark was completely random and that he did not know Hurley was in talks with the Lakers, however.

“I happened to be at a thing with him last night and I have no idea what’s going on,” Auriemma said. “I have no idea where this is going and what’s happening, but I just leaned over and I said, ‘Hey, I think you could win a lot of championships with the Lakers, more so than a guy who has never coached.’ He just looked at me and nodded and we had a good laugh, and this morning I wake up and voila.”

The inexperienced coach Auriemma was referring to is JJ Redick, who seemed like he had the Lakers head coach job locked up before the Hurley news broke.

Auriemma claims he made the comment to Hurley “out of nowhere” and that he was shocked when he saw Wojnarowski’s report on Thursday morning. Skeptics will say Auriemma had to know something, otherwise that would be one heck of a coincidence. Others might wonder if Hurley had previously turned down the Lakers and circled back to show interest after chatting about the job with Auriemma.

Fans were even more convinced that the Lakers are going to hire Redick after the former sharpshooter made a cryptic comment on Wednesday. Wojnarowski claims Hurley was L.A.’s top choice from the start, so the only logical explanation is that Hurley originally turned the Lakers down and has since circled back.

Could Hurley’s conversation with Auriemma have made an impact on the back-to-back national champion coach? It seems unlikely, but you never know.