UConn males’s basketball coach Dan Hurley instructed ESPN that the Los Angeles Lakers made a “compelling case” and introduced a “compelling imaginative and prescient” for him to turn into the franchise’s subsequent coach however that he loves what he has constructed at two-time defending nationwide champion UConn — and plans to decide on his future Monday.
In a telephone interview Sunday, Hurley instructed ESPN that he left “extraordinarily impressed” with Lakers VP and GM Rob Pelinka and proprietor Jeanie Buss and had been spending Sunday weighing what sources inform ESPN is a large, long-term supply to maneuver to the NBA.
Hurley traveled to Los Angeles on Thursday evening, met with the Lakers on Friday and returned east on Saturday morning, Hurley stated.
The Lakers’ pursuit of Hurley accelerated in latest days after Hurley knowledgeable his administration Wednesday and his gamers Thursday of the talks with the Lakers. UConn has gained back-to-back NCAA titles — together with a file 12 straight double-digit event victories — and has a top-five workforce returning subsequent season.
Hurley has been on the forefront of the Lakers’ search from the start of the method, even whereas the group has finished its due diligence interviewing a number of different candidates, sources stated. Solely New Orleans assistant James Borrego had two in-person interviews in Los Angeles, sources stated.
Pelinka and Buss formally mentioned with Hurley their imaginative and prescient of marrying his dominant program — constructed upon each his tactical acumen and elite participant growth — with the storied Lakers model.
Hurley, 51, has typically described his ambition to sooner or later coach within the NBA and traveled to L.A. to discover the complete image of a partnership with considered one of basketball’s winningest franchises.
The pursuit of Hurley comes on the twentieth anniversary of the Lakers attempting to rent Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski to a record-breaking contract in 2004. Krzyzewski elected to stay at Duke, however the local weather has dramatically modified in school athletics. The calls for of NIL fundraising for non-power soccer faculties like UConn are an particularly relentless grind — and anticipated to turn into much more tough.
Editor’s Picks
1 Associated
As for the Lakers’ stars, LeBron James has been impressed with Hurley’s subtle offensive actions, and assuming he returns to L.A. in free company, the potential for utilizing the fifty fifth general draft choose on USC freshman guard Bronny James makes Hurley an much more intriguing candidate. If that occurs, LeBron James will get an opportunity to play together with his son and the advantage of Hurley and his employees changing into liable for Bronny James’ professional growth.
In a social media publish responding to a podcast interview with JJ Redick, James posted on X of Hurley: “He is so DAMN GOOD!!! Alongside together with his employees. Tremendous artistic with their [offense]. Like it.”
The Lakers have been dedicated to creating All-NBA ahead Anthony Davis a major a part of the dialog on the subsequent head coach and need to make it possible for he is aligned with how a brand new coach plans to characteristic him on each offense and protection, sources stated.
The Lakers have proceeded with conversations with different candidates over the previous few weeks, however the potential of touchdown Hurley has been the main target of the Lakers’ search, sources stated.
A part of the attract of Hurley traces again to the altering panorama of NBA roster constructing beneath the collective bargaining settlement. Due to the roster-building limitations imposed by the brand new second apron, the flexibility of big-market groups to assemble contending rosters by buying and selling a number of draft picks and younger gamers for a third-star participant has largely been eradicated. Past the seventeenth general choose on this month’s draft, the Lakers have a younger core of Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Max Christie that administration believes can present even larger enchancment beneath Hurley’s teaching, sources stated.
After traditionally dominant back-to-back nationwide title seasons, Hurley has emerged as probably the most coveted coach within the sport — and the potential for him leaving UConn and the Massive East Convention for the Lakers has large implications for each school basketball and the NBA. Hurley has constructed a juggernaut that has lapped the game — culminating with the NCAA’s first repeat champion in 17 years and a event efficiency that produced the most important level differential in event historical past — 140 factors.
The potential for UConn successful a 3rd straight title does loom with the return of a preseason top-five workforce, however the Huskies did lose two possible lottery picks (middle Donovan Clingan and guard Stephon Fortress) and a first-team All-American level guard (Tristen Newton) to the NBA draft.
The Lakers dismissed coach Darvin Ham after a first-round exit within the Western Convention playoffs. Ham was 94-70 in two seasons, together with a visit to the Western Convention finals in 2023.
Hurley is 141-58 (.709) in six seasons because the UConn coach. The son of Naismith Corridor of Fame coach Bob Hurley Sr. — for whom Hurley performed at famed St. Anthony Excessive Faculty of Jersey Metropolis, New Jersey — Dan Hurley spent 9 years as a highschool coach at St. Benedict’s Prep earlier than quickly rebuilding school applications at Wagner and Rhode Island. His older brother, Bobby, is the pinnacle coach at Arizona State.