The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
A time for change
Hurley realizes it’s his role to help players, and make community better
Dan Hurley got into coaching because of his love for basketball and its ability to be a vehicle to create life opportunities for himself and others.
He relishes the competition, the climb to success and winning championships, but there’s a lot more to it than that.
“There’s no feeling in the world better than impacting the lives of someone else, being of great service. There’s nothing better,” Hurley said. “When you’re so close-knit and you’re striving for hard-to-reach goals, it brings you together in a major way.”
So, when the players he now coaches at UConn are feeling “hurt, angry, sad, frustrated … a lot of emotions” on the heels of the death of George Floyd and the civil unrest that has ensued, Hurley knows his role extends far beyond Xs and Os and recruiting.
“There’s much more required of me in the position I have,” Hurley said in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. “It’s my responsibility to lead the UConn men’s basketball program and bring about real change and action. When the so
cial media ends and the protests end, it’s gonna be about action. I understand my responsibility in that and in our communities.”
Hurley has had conversations with his players over the past week.
“There’s fear,” he reported. “They’re guys that have lived in fear in this world. There are players that are angry and saddened. I would say a lot of those emotions now are being directed towards conversations about things that we’ll be able to do at UConn, besides pursuing championships together, pursuing their education and degree, pursuing their craft at the highest level. There’s a new focus and understanding what our responsibilities are gonna be moving forward.”
And what are those responsibilities?
“There are communities in desperate need of help, in terms of funding schools, education and awareness, the power of voting,” Hurley said. “Outreach with community leaders and police officials, and how we can improve those relationships? We’re trying to learn, we’re trying to listen and figure out where we can help. You’re talking about very complex systems that have been in place for an incredibly long time. So, it’s not an easy solution.”
Hurley grew up in the tough environs of Jersey City, N.J. His father, Bob, was a Hall of Fame coach at St. Anthony High, as well as a probation officer, who was very well-respected in the community. Dan and his older brother, Bobby, were star players at St. Anthony (and later, Seton Hall and Duke, respectively).
They have spent their entire lives intertwined in the African-American community, yet realize that they don’t share the same experiences.
“They’re your heroes, your babysitters when you’re 3-, 4-, 5-years old at summer league games or at practice when you’re trying to run out in the street,” Hurley said. “When you get to high school, college, guys like Jerry Walker, Terry Dehere and Gordon Winchester are looking out for you like they’re your big brothers. It’s easy for me and Bob. We’re insulated because of the way we grew up. We can’t relate to the life experience of a black man. But we were insulated to it because the majority of our lives, people of color have been our best friends and people that are closest to us. The people we trust the most.”
And now, the 13 scholarship players on Hurley’s roster — all of them African-American — are hurting. And he knows he has to be there for them. If they want to kneel during the national anthem this season, that’s fine. (UConn players have interlocked their arms with coaches during the anthem since Hurley took over, a practice Hurley began at Rhode Island during the Colin Kaepernick controversy).
“Everything’s out in the open,” Hurley said. “There’s a lot of pain. George Floyd and his family, people of color, the team and their experiences.”
Education, he added, is perhaps most important of all.
“There are gonna be athletes and people in the entertainment industry that are gonna be able to rise up from these communities. But that’s not enough. It’s got to happen through education. Of the 13-15 guys in my program, realistically, only two or three of them may make enough money playing basketball to have a quality life,” Hurely said.
“How well are we preparing the other 12 or 13, in terms of their full education and preparation to get a high-quality job? To own a home in a quality neighborhood, where you have access to great schools? I’ve always felt like that was my responsibility as a coach, not just to pursue championships and help guys get to their highest levels of professional basketball. We’re the last group of people that’s gonna educate these guys and prepare for the next 40-50 years of their life, where they may not be playing basketball.”
“This is an unbelievable time,” the coach added, “to look at yourself and your relationship to others.”
RIM RATTLINGS
Hurley said athletic director David Benedict and his staff, school administration, state officials and he and other coaches continue to have conversations about how athletes could return to campus this summer. There is no current timetable, and any significant lost time could hurt UConn more than other programs.
“The fact that we’re talking about it is encouraging for me. We’re sharing ideas, talking about different options in terms of living arrangements, how they can train, testing, how we can feed these guys. There’s a lot that goes into it. There’s just so much planning. Every conversation that we’re having, hopefully we’re getting closer, but there’s so much unknown about what’s gonna happen next.”
⏩ There are no updates on whether transfer Tyrese Martin, a 6-foot-6 guard who played two seasons at Rhode Island, will seek an eligibility waiver to play next season. But it appears that will be the case.
“I do think that Tyrese is a different situation than R.J. Cole, who was really looking for that year to build up his body and use that redshirt year,” Hurley said. “I think they are two different situations, where Tyrese would like to pursue it.”
⏩ Hurley said Tyler Polley (torn ACL) should be on schedule to be ready for the Huskies’ season-opener in early November. He also took the opportunity to welcome Adama Sanogo to the program.
“We’re obviously thrilled with his addition to the program. He’s a winner, he’s a warrior, he’s an old-school type of guy, too, as far as his work ethic, his unselfishness, his pursuit of victory, his humility. He’s another high-level talent.”
UConn received Sanogo’s national letter of intent last week.
⏩ UConn’s new players will wear the following uniform numbers: Cole (1), Martin (4), Sanogo (21), Javonte Brown-Ferguson (31) and Andre Jackson (44). Also, rising sophomore Akok Akok will switch from No. 23 to No. 11.