In an interview with CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein to promote his book ‘Never Stop: Life, Leadership, and What It Takes To Be Great’, the UConn basketball coach said he doesn’t see himself leaving college basketball at any point in the near time future, a statement that was alluding to his experiment last offseason where he interviewed for the Los Angeles Lakers head coaching opening.
‘I’m pretty convinced I’m going to be a college coach ’till the end. Obviously, it’s hard to predict the future, but just in terms of where I’m most effective. Kind of the age range, the amount of control you have as a college coach as crazy as the portal is, as crazy as it’s gotten with NIL.
‘… I still think you’ve got greater control (in college) and I do think I get a chance to live my purpose, which is you can change lives.’
Entering his seventh season at UConn, Hurley, the son of legendary high school basketball coach Bob Hurley and brother of Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley, has consistently been one of the top coaches in the country and the Big East in recent years. Highlighted by their two national championship titles, the Huskies have gone 165-69 overall under Dan Hurley.
His successes in Storrs, Connecticut earned him a head coaching interview with the Lakers following UConn’s back-to-back national championship titles in 2024, the first program to win the NCAA Tournament two consecutive times since Florida in 2006 and 2007. He, of course, turned down the Lakers’ job, which went to J.J. Redick, to return to the Huskies and compete for the chance of winning three straight national championship titles.
The Huskies fell well short of meeting that feat last season, as they went 24-11 overall and had a first-week exit from the NCAA Tournament following a loss to No. 1 seed Florida.
Entering the upcoming 2025-26 college basketball season, UConn is expected to be once again one of the top programs in the Big East alongside St. John’s, Creighton and Marquette. The Huskies return Solo Ball and veteran two-time national champion forward Alex Karaban, who withdrew from the NBA draft in April to finish some ‘unfinished business’ at UConn.
UConn is set to open the season on Monday, Nov. 3 against New Haven at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut.
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