Dan Hurley reveals why he was caught off guard by Kentucky speculation

When Kentucky head coach John Calipari stunned the nation on Sunday evening by reportedly agreeing on terms to become Arkansas‘ next head coach, Dan Hurley’s name was immediately thrown around as a potential target for UK. However, the UConn head coach claims he was clueless about the situation.

“The positive thing for me is my phone broke on Saturday,” Hurley said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “I couldn’t receive any incoming calls or text messages or outgoing. So I had no idea that any of that stuff was going on.

“Then, I got those questions after the game that you’re not prepared for and that your agent doesn’t want you to answer. He just wants you to say nothing. Just keeping it real.”

Keeping it real is a specialty of Hurley’s. After reeling in his second-straight national title on Monday evening, reporters asked the 51-year-old head coach about the coaching carousel rumors. He didn’t hesitate to address them despite his agent’s wishes.

“I don’t think that’s a concern,” Hurley said with a chuckle. “My wife, you should have her answer that. … She’ll answer that question better than I can. Sh*t.”

While Hurley’s wife may make the off-court decisions, he certainly knows how to create an on-court game plan. With the win, UConn became the first program to complete a national championship repeat since Billy Donovan led Florida to history in the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

Dan Hurley hungry for more success

Evidently, Hurley is already hungry for more.

“Literally, once we got on that team bus, I turned around and said, ‘Where’s the East Regional next year? Alright, first two rounds are in Providence and then the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight are in Newark, New Jersey, where I lived and worked for nine years. Then, the Final Four is in San Antonio,'” Hurley said.

“We’re gonna enjoy this for a couple of days, but like it’s gonna fade quickly. Then, we’re gonna get back to work and we’re gonna put a roster together that will hopefully go for a dynasty.”

Of course, Hurley isn’t Kentucky’s lone option. The program will also reportedly target Donovan, who is currently with the Chicago Bulls, along with Baylor head coach Scott Drew.

Money should not be an issue for Kentucky. The team will avoid paying Calipari’s $33 million buyout fee since he opted to accept the Arkansas job. Now, fans around the nation can only anxiously wait to see where Hurley lands next season.