Hurley makes bold move to UConn
It was a painful decision, but Dan Hurley is leaving Rhode Island to coach one of the nation’s most prestigious programs.
Hurley agreed Thursday morning to take over at Connecticut after six years of leading the Rams, the school announced.
The New Jersey native, who replaces the recently fired Kevin Ollie, received a six-year contract that will pay him $2.75 million in his first year, according to the school. The hiring will be officially announced at a Friday afternoon press conference. Hurley reportedly weighed lucrative offers from UConn and Pittsburgh — along with a deal to stay at Rhode Island—in recent days, but agreed to take over the Huskies’ program after six mostly successful seasons as the Rams’ coach.
His father, Hall of Fame high school coach Bob Hurley Sr., described his son’s decision to leave Rhode Island as “extremely difficult,” because of what he had built there in six seasons — two NCAA Tournament trips, two NCAA tourney victories and three 20-win campaigns — and the strides the program had made under his watch as the premier team in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Hurley had the conference’s topranked recruiting class coming in, and a strong young nucleus featuring sophomores Jeff Dowtin and Cyril Langevine and freshman Fatts Russell. But the opportunity to take over a program with UConn’s pedigree was too much to pass up.
“This program, which is part of one of the top public universities in the country, has a championship history and wonderful support from a passionate fan base,” Hurley said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing this proud tradition.”
Under Ollie, UConn had fallen dormant, missing the NCAA Tournament three of the past four years.
“I don’t think UConn or Danny are preparing for a long rebuild,” Hurley Sr. said. “This is almost restructuring.”