After turning down a lucrative offer to become the Lakers‘ head coach, UConn’s Dan Hurley issued a statement saying that he was “humbled by this entire experience” and remains committed to pursuing more championships with the Huskies (Twitter link).
Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Tuesday (YouTube link), Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN explained that there were multiple reasons why Hurley decided to remain in Connecticut instead of making the move to Los Angeles. The unique opportunity to become the first college coach since UCLA’s John Wooden over 50 years ago to lead a team to three consecutive national titles was one important consideration, according to Wojnarowski, but it wasn’t the only one.
“Dan Hurley really studied everything that was required to be an NBA coach and the adjustments he was going to have to make,” Woj said (hat tip to RealGM). “As much as the Lakers wanted what Dan Hurley brought — his program building, his player development, the way he can forge relationships with players, the great X’s-and-O’s acumen. He’s running a lot of stuff in college that’s been intriguing to NBA coaches that they want to steal from a little bit. For all of that, Dan Hurley was going to have to adjust and knew that he had to be ready to make the adjustments in temperament, in practice time, all the things that come with being an NBA coach from college basketball. And, ultimately, Dan Hurley wasn’t there yet on doing that.”
Wojnarowski went on to say that Hurley “loved what he heard” from Lakers leaders like Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka, and liked the idea of coaching star forwards Anthony Davis and LeBron James in the short term and getting to draft and develop “Hurley-type” prospects in the long term. However, he ultimately decided he wasn’t ready to make the move to the NBA.
Wojnarowski also pushed back on the idea that Hurley was using the Lakers for leverage purposes to get a more lucrative deal with UConn.
“He had negotiated a new (UConn) deal for himself with his agent weeks ago,” Woj said. “That’s going to be, I’m told, kind of in the $8MM+ (per year) range. It’ll put him among the highest-paid coaches in college basketball. But they never negotiated off that, or leveraged off that with the Lakers. The Lakers (opportunity) was a singular moment for Dan Hurley and it wasn’t about getting his UConn number up. It already was up, and that was before UConn even knew about the Laker conversations.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Following Hurley’s rejection of the Lakers, will James follow suit by turning down his player option for 2024/25 and seeking a change of scenery? Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer explores that topic, arguing that parting ways now might be in the best long-term interests of both LeBron and the Lakers, though it’s considered unlikely to happen.
- Jim Alexander of The Orange County Register contends that Hurley’s decision to pass on the opportunity to coach the Lakers shouldn’t come as a surprise, while Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times rips the Lakers for their failed pursuit of UConn’s head coach, describing it as a “humiliating” sequence of events for a franchise whose “reputation is diminishing.”
- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst isn’t quite as harsh in his assessment of the Lakers’ situation, pointing out that things in Los Angeles looked worse than this in 2019, when their new head coaching hire (Frank Vogel) was widely known to be their third choice and franchise legend Magic Johnson was referring to Pelinka as a backstabber following Johnson’s exit from the front office. They won a title a year later.
- Within his column on the Lakers’ situation, Windhorst says the team’s contact with J.J. Redick was “minimal” leading up to the team’s pursuit of Hurley. While the Lakers could circle back to Redick, going after Hurley may signal that they were lukewarm on the available crop of head coaching candidates, according to Windhorst, who wonders if the franchise might pursue another coach from the college ranks.
- When Wojnarowski first reported the Lakers’ interest last week, he stated that Hurley had been at the “forefront of the Lakers’ search from the beginning of the process.” Appearing on FanDuel’s Run it Back show on Tuesday (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of The Athletic – who previously identified Redick as the frontrunner – seemed to disagree with that claim. “Last week, on Wednesday, they turned their attention, I’m told, to Dan Hurley,” Charania said. “He was not the No. 1 candidate, the No. 1 guy to go pursue from the start. But they felt like there was an opening there.” Charania added that people around the league don’t “have a great feel” for where the Lakers’ search is headed next.
Someone tell these morons it’s the playoffs. No one cares about the Lakers not picking a coach.
How about the 6 other posts below until a Finals related item? But only when it’s reporting Lakers news whaaaaaa
Has nothing to do with the lakers. The other posts are things that actually happened. This is Woj using lots of words to tell us nothing happened. We have no new insight into the Lakers hiring process, no real new insight on Hurley, and no new insight into what the Lakers will do next. Sorry your team didn’t make the playoffs though.
There are literally two rumors lmao. The Lakers derangement is insane.
Correct, your derangement is insane.
I’m glad to read any article about how the Lakers failed and are goin to shambles because they think way to highly of themselves, they have to hire a podcaster to coach them, it’s hilarious
17 banners are hanging in your head rent free.
Sounds more like someone is cranky their team couldn’t make the playoffs and now is floundering for competent leadership. My original comment was about Woj and you somehow felt the need to make yourself and the Lakers a victim. Well, congratulations. Now I feel sorry for both of you lol
Oh it’s always about the lakers, even in the finals. Quick report on Boston Dallas then boom, straight back to la la land. Not a coach in the history of all mankind helping this squad….man the lakers stink.
Coverage of the Laker parade celebrating the rigged season tournament trophy will be held simultaneously with that of the Larry O’Brien winner. The pathetic laker propaganda is nothing new. Been getting favours near on fifty years now. Let’s hope the ratings are all good. Man lakers stink SMH.
And you click every single time. At what point is it a YOU problem?
Click? Oh, are you one of these smart forum phycologists who can read people’s emotions and mood via someone poking fun at how irrelevant the lakers are via the comment section? I take much pleasure and enjoyment at how bad the lakers stink. Why is anyone even talking about these rigged in season tournament, play in bubble gangsters? LOL, man the lakers stink. Your snidely comments will only make me go harder. You could add your own opinions or takes to the comment section whenever you like rather than being so reactive and sensitive to truth. Yet it’s me who has the problem. Lakers stink man, enjoy the last ride around the lebron carousel, I will.
Lmao the only basketball opinions you have revolve around a team you hate. I can’t imagine how sad you are every day
It’s HoopsRumors, not HoopsInfo. I’m happy to read about any rumors for any team. You can always go to ESPN, CBS, or NBA.com if you don’t want rumors.
It was always improbable that Hurly was going to move all the way across the country and become meshed in a completely different culture that he has no identity with and coach in the NBA cold turkey.
The fact that he was getting a contract that’s only 8 million short of what Monty got gives him no honeymoon time. The fact he would only be making half of that in Cali just like Monty is in Michigan due to taxes, provides no blanket for him what so ever.
What the Lakers are saying is that are no coaches good enough in the league to coach them.
As far a I am concerned they should try to aquire or transfer Montys contract from Detroit and bring him there.
As long as A.D. and LeBron are there I can’t make a case for any coach going there after pursuing a college because of the pedigree he brings vs expierence.
It’s head coaching career suicide to do so after this episode.
Hurley was probably just using LA for leverage, and Woj clearly doesn’t understand how job searches work if he thinks the sequence is some sort of evidence. Hurley can’t control what day the Lakers do an interview or make an offer. Is he supposed to just tell UC to wait patiently while he builds his leverage together? No you negotiate the whole time like he did and then play your last card only if you need to.
They low balled Hurley and I’m not sure why that isn’t mentioned more. He wouldn’t have even been in the top 5 of coaches for AAV salary. The Lakers job is thankless (ask Vogel) and especially not appealing now. Who wants to be the guy to “fail” LeBron in his last year or two AND possibly have to carry Bronny, who may not even be worthy of a roster spot? Just to head into a full rebuild within the next 2 years?
This is not a good job right now. Unless they offered to make him the highest paid coach, I don’t blame him for turning it down.
*He would have been 5th AAV at 11.5 if he inked the deal
Behind 3 champs in Spo Pop and Kerr and one Monty Willams
I don’t think much of Tome Gores as a team owner but at least he was willing to pay up for the coach he wanted. Jerry Buss would’ve paid up as well. Jeannie Buss is cheap.
Not sure how cheap, possibly dumb. Expected from a person who has never lived in the real world while being silver spoon fed. Lakers coaching carousel has cost a fortune in buyouts surely.
This is the truth, was going to take 5/75 or 6/90 at the least, their offer was surprisingly low
What a loser. Too afraid that his lack of coaching ability would be exposed and he would not be the guy the media sucks up to incessantly. Lose big you idiot.