Hurley is enjoying the moment, has no plans to leave
Glendale, Ariz. — After pouring every ounce of energy during every waking hour to drive his UConn men’s basketball team to its initial second straight national championship, coach Dan Hurley could finally rest late Monday night.
Hurley planned to go back to the team hotel and unwind with his wife Andrea, toast his team’s repeat feat and listen to Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time.”
“I’m going to crawl up to my room and collapse on the ground,” Hurley said. “That’s what me and my wife do. The words are very fitting in that song. … It’s just a perfect song when you win a big game. The words move me.”
Hurley and the Huskies made their triumphant return to Storrs on Tuesday, arriving at Gampel Pavilion for a Welcome Home rally. In the hours leading up to Monday’s 75-60 national championship win over Purdue at State Farm Stadium, Hurley’s thoughts turned to last season and the victory parade in Hartford. He wanted to experience that again with his team. And he didn’t want black and yellow confetti, Purdue’s colors, dropping on his head that night.
UConn becoming the first team in 17 years to capture back-to-back titles was extra special to the Hurley family. Dan’s brother Bobby also won two straight playing for Duke (1991, 1992).
“It’s crazy joining that club with my big bro,” Hurley said. “I wouldn’t be here without my brother. The stuff my brother instilled in me, he toughened me up and then he loved me and supported me in an incredible way.”
Hurley has already started the national championship victory tour, appearing on some network television morning shows. UConn, which was ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press top 25 poll on Monday, will be honored with a parade in Hartford at 11 a.m. Saturday.
But he’s also already thinking about next season and going for the program’s third straight and seventh overall title. He never takes his foot off the gas for long.
“This thing will fade fast and then the best part is going to be when we get back to work and start going for a three-peat,” Hurley said.
Yes, Hurley intends to return next
season. Like any successful coach, he’ll be the subject of coaching rumors, including for the opening at Kentucky. He’s not interested in replacing John Calipari.
“I’m not going into the portal,” Hurley said.
Hard to say right now if any of his players will take that option. The Huskies will lose guards Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer, while fellow starters Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan will likely leave school early for the NBA.
“My only hope with the guys, unlike last year, I’m just going to ask (them) for maybe later in the week for any announcements, portal or the NBA. Last year we almost got there but a couple of people got itchy,” Hurley said.
“With Steph and Donovan, obviously, we’ll get as much information as quickly as we can for them. But things look great for them. We’re going to have some holes to fill. But we had some holes to fill last year.”
Associate head coach Kimani Young and assistants Luke Murray and Tom Moore are expected to be back.
Hurley frequently mentions that Murray and Young deserve to be head coaches some day.
“I’ve got a great job and this is an awesome place to be,” Young said. “Great program, great coaching staff and we’ve got great chemistry. I’m as committed to being here as anybody. We’ve got a great staff and we worked well together, and we’ve got a great synergy. …
“We’ve got all the resources we need to be good again. So, we’re going to get after it.”
There was a time just days into his UConn coaching career when Hurley had second thoughts about leaving Rhode Island. He called his agent to ask about backing out of his contract.
A conversation with Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun set Hurley straight.
“I was trying to find a way to stay at Rhode Island,” Hurley said. “I took the job and I had a little bit of buyer’s remorse because the first workout was a disaster. I just couldn’t believe how bad it was in terms of how everyone was playing. Everything was not in great shape.
“At the end of day two, I went into coach (Calhoun’s) office and said, ‘Hey, coach. This is bull. Nothing is in place. This is UConn, where is the infrastructure? What’s been going on here?’ He was just like, ‘Are you kidding me? You’re not the person that we probably should have hired.’
“It was bad. He ripped me. … I just flew out of there and called (athletic director) Dave Benedict and told him we’ve got to get this fixed. “That was a moment.” Hurley has had quite a few special moments in his six seasons at UConn.