Dan Hurley Laughs Off Connections to Kentucky Coaching Vacancy
The last head coach once said, “Kentucky is college basketball.” The biggest player in the sport is swinging big as it looks for its next head coach and no one is bigger right now than Dan Hurley.
The 51-year-old from New Jersey just capped off his sixth season at UConn by winning his second-straight National Championship. The Huskies are the first program to go back-to-back since Florida in 06-07. During their 12-game NCAA Tournament win streak UConn dominated foes, winning every game by double-digits.
After cutting down the nets in Phoenix, Hurley took questions from the media. The final question was about interest elsewhere. The reporter did not explicitly indicate Kentucky, but we all know who he was talking about.
Hurley laughed off the notion that he would be entertaining outside offers. “I don’t think that’s a concern.”
“My wife, you should have her answer that,” he said. “She’ll answer that question better than I can.”
Once off the stage, he was pressed further by other reporters. Once again, he used the line about his wife to say his family is content in the Northeast.
“Oh my God, Kentucky or anywhere that’s going to take her further from New Jersey,” he told Pete Thamel. “I mean, we just went to Rhode Island, which I had to drag her to, and then to Connecticut. I got her closer. And now further? I can’t afford a divorce right now, too. I just started making money.”
Kyle Tucker pressed him further about Kentucky, to which he replied, “No way.”
Dan Hurley was asked about rumors about the Kentucky job:
— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) April 9, 2024
"I don't think that's a concern." pic.twitter.com/WQEx7Wket8
Despite those comments, the internet is still abuzz this morning about Kentucky’s courtship of Hurley. Industry sources indicate Kentucky is willing to make him the highest-paid coach in the sport. Matt Jones reported Kentucky will speak with Hurley, Billy Donovan, and Scott Drew.
Hurley signed a contract extension after winning last year’s National Championship that will pay him an average of $5.35 million per year. Kentucky’s pockets are a bit deeper in the SEC. Calipari was set to earn nearly double that at $9 million a year at the end of his “lifetime contract.” Tucker asked UConn athletic director David Benedict about the financials of keeping Hurley in Connecticut.
“I’m not going to speak to that. Money is a factor in a lot of different ways,” Benedict told The Athletic. “It’s the resources, it’s the support. Nowadays, it’s NIL and all these different things that impact your ability to be successful. It would be hard to say we haven’t been able to put that type of formula together for Coach. We’ve proven that we can do it before Dan and now that Dan’s here. We’re in it for the long haul.”
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