‘I want the coach to be Hurley’: Magic Johnson endorses Dan Hurley for Lakers job

Johnson Magic didn’t hesitate.

Lakers legend answered question before late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel I could finish asking.

Who do you like as close Lakers trainer, Dan Hurley or JJ Redick?

“I like Hurley,” Johnson said. “I want the coach to be Hurley.”

Johnson made the comment during an appearance on Thursday’s episode of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” which was taped the same day as news broke that the Lakers plan to offer their head coaching position for the man who led Connecticut to the NCAA championships in the last two seasons.

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Before Thursday, the expectation of those outside the organization was that the job would eventually go to Redicka former player and current announcer who hosts a podcast with the Lakers star LeBron James but did not train above youth level.

Hurley didn’t coach at the professional level, but he did a masterful job in college. After two years at Wagner College and six at the University of Rhode Island, where he led the Rams to two NCAA tournament appearances, Hurley took over the Huskies in 2018. He is 141-58 in six seasons at Connecticut and 68-11 in the previous two seasons.

“He has championship experience,” Johnson told Kimmel. “He’s great with offensive and defensive strategy. I think the players will respect him. And he’s tough. The Lakers need to have someone to hold them accountable, right?

“And we also have to play physical basketball. Denver will always beat us unless we become a much more physical team. So we need to be more physical. That’s why these two teams are playing in the Finals, Boston and Dallas, because they are mentally tough and they are physically strong. We need to be strong both mentally and physically.

See more information: Who is Dan Hurley? Everything you need to know about the Lakers coaching candidate

Johnson spent his entire career in the NBA with the Lakers, winning five titles along the way, and over the years has also co-owned the team and served as president of basketball operations. He has no official capacity within the organization at this time, but remains close to the owner Jeanie Buss and remains one of Los Angeles’ most beloved figures.

On Thursday, Johnson tweeted his excitement at the prospect of Hurley becoming the Lakers’ next head coach.

“I heard the great news that Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and GM/VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka have spoken with back-to-back NCAA champion and current UCONN coach Dan Hurley about becoming the next coach from the Lakers!” Johnson wrote. “I’m so excited and thrilled!

“This would be a game changer for the Lakers organization, LeBron, AD [Anthony Davis], the rest of the Laker players, Laker Nation and the NBA! Coach Hurley can coach a lot haha”

Hurley is expected to meet with the Lakers on Friday. The team interviewed New Orleans’ top assistant James Borrego last week and spoke with other candidates, including Redick, on a less formal basis.

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This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.