Yahoo Sports national columnist Dan Wetzel, senior college football reporter Ross Dellenger and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde discuss Dan Hurley’s choice to turn down the Lakers’ head coaching offer and remain at UConn.
Video transcript
Dan Hurley turns down the Los Angeles Lakers to return to the University of Connecticut and increases the chance of a historic third place.
It will continue his legacy in college basketball.
Great day for Uconn.
Is it a great day for college basketball?
Also?
Pat, yes, I mean, Dan Hurley is now the king of the sport.
He is at a historic high that few have ever reached and has the chance to continue to contribute to it.
I mean, they should start the 2024-25 season in the top five and have a shot at a three-peat, which hasn’t happened since John Wooden.
And I just think he’s a better fit psychologically and geographically where he is at UConn and the college game as opposed to being in Los Angeles with the NBA and the Lakers, Ross.
What this means for college sports is that not only is he returning to uconn, but also that uconn is not in a powerful, big-money football league.
What does this say about the ability to compete?
He clearly sees in the big East and one school, unquote, the big moment in college football in this big moment, the money in college football because that’s been a concern.
The dividing line.
Dan Hurley seems to see no dividing line.
Yeah, I mean, we’ve been hearing for months, if not years, like zero and all these changes happen in college athletics and there’s, you know, free transfer and you hear the complaints from a lot of coaches about the college athletic recruiting calendar and, uh, how to protect college sports and all these coaches are leaving for the NFL and the NBA and they don’t want to be in college and boom, here it is.
You have, you have a guy who conveys arguably the, one of certainly, arguably the best work in basketball.
Um, uh, no, not just the money, right, which was, which was supposedly $70 million over six years.
But, um, coaching in the NBA and coaching a historic franchise in the NBA and coaching, perhaps the greatest player to ever play the sport, um, it’s, it’s really, really incredible.
Um, and it probably says something about, um, uh, you know, the college athletic scene in general.
Um, maybe, maybe, you know, some people in the sport see this, uh, as a better option, uh, than coaching professional players.
And, and I, I think we have to keep in mind 11 things here, um, especially and Pat kind of mentioned this, uh, Dan Dan Hurley as a coach.
Right.
He probably fits best as a coach of college players.
Uh, I, I think, I think there are certain coaches like that and, and he, it’s pretty clear that he fits into the college game a little better than the pro game.
Dan Hurley.
I’m not going anywhere.
Great day for Uconn.
