Dan Hurley is staying at UConn to chase a three-peat.
He turned down the opportunity to coach LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers and rejected a massive six-year, $70 million offer to do so — something first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and since confirmed by multiple others, including people on the ground at UConn practice.
It would have been a radical change for Hurley and his wife and family. They are East Coast (New Jersey) natives and royalty in Connecticut who would have had to adjust to a West Coast lifestyle, plus he would have been just another celebrity in the constellation of stars in Los Angeles (and at Lakers games).
It also would have meant a dramatic change in coaching style (plenty of great college coaches have struggled to make that adjustment). Hurley is a firey coach known for getting in the face of his players at times and of referees seemingly all the time, things he would have had to dial back to function in the NBA. It’s also a different power structure, Hurley is the star of the UConn program and the guy with all the power, that is not the case on an NBA team with LeBron (or Anthony Davis, or any other stars the Lakers might bring in down the line). And if he thinks he’s been overly scrutinized as the head coach of the Huskies, he has not met Lakers fans online. Did Hurley think it was possible to succeed at the levels expected in Los Angeles? Would have an even larger financial offer have changed things (this offer brings him in line with the top six coaches in the league, but did Los Angeles need to go bigger to get him to come out West)?
Ultimately, Hurley gets a raise and a chance to make college history at UConn. He chose his recruits and his life now over the glamour of Los Angeles (it’s wild he reportedly turned down Kentucky and the Lakers this summer to stay with the Huskies).
The Lakers are now back to looking at J.J. Redick as their rumored lead candidate, with former Charlotte head coach James Borrego also getting multiple interviews. Marc Stein reported in his newsletter to consider another name, former Villanova coach Jay Wright. The vibe is there is not a consensus with the Lakers’ front office about who should get the job.
Hurley fit on paper what the Lakers say they want: An Xs and Os tactician who also is strong on player development and can build something that has sustainable success in Los Angeles. Who else out there fits that bill?
Don’t expect the Lakers to make a quick decision, this could well drag out longer than the NBA Finals.
