The UConn Huskies were able to keep their back-to-back national champion head coach in Dan Hurley as the two sides agreed to a massive six-year, $50 million contract extension on Monday afternoon. This deal makes Hurley the second-highest paid men’s basketball coach behind Kansas’ Bill Self. UConn Director of Athletics David Benedict discussed the excitement of the program in the press release.
“On behalf of UConn Nation, we are thrilled that Coach Hurley will continue to lead the Men’s Basketball program for the foreseeable future. Dan and Andrea have poured themselves into the rebuilding of this program that culminated in the last two National Championships. This contract is recognition for the immense amount of effort that went into producing those results and the dedication it will require to sustain a program that expects to compete for conference and national championships in the future.” h/t UConn Athletics
The team has been aggressive in the NCAA Transfer Portal as well. It will be interesting to see if he can become the second coach in NCAA history to win three consecutive national championships (John Wooden, UCLA).
What does this mean going forward for Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies?
Dan Hurley has been one of the best coaches that we have seen and it has been apparent by the teams wanting him. He rejected a reported $11 million per year deal to take over the Kentucky Wildcats coaching position earlier this offseason as well as turning down the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coaching position and a six-year, $70 million contract.
This shows how much Dan Hurley wanted to stay in Storrs and coach the UConn Huskies. The money was not a main factor and it seems like the New Jersey native loves to be closer to home with his wife, Andrea. The Uconn Huskies are tied with the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Kansas Jayhawks for the best odds to win the 2025 NCAA Tournament (+1000), so the team is primed to make some history.
This shows that in a world like college athletics where coaches lie through their teeth, there can be some coaches with morals.
About the Author
Vincent Pensabene graduated from Saint Leo University in 2019 with a B.A. in Sport Business and has focused on the media side of sports. He writes for multiple publications and is interested in the reasoning of why things happen. Feel free to follow him on social media @TalkVinTalk and discuss all things sports.
