Dan Hurley will return to UConn to try to win a third consecutive national championship after turning down a 6-year, $70 million deal from the Los Angeles Lakers.
If the Lakers had hired Hurley, he would have been paid more than any other coach in the NBA. But according to sources, Hurley got an offer from UConn to become one of the highest-paid NCAA coaches before he ever started conversations with the Lakers. Those talks will, reportedly, continue.
Following the 2022–23 season, Hurley signed a $32.1 million, 6-year contract with UConn.
According to sources, the Lakers will refocus their search for a coach and continue interviewing candidates in the hopes of hiring one by the NBA draft later this month, after their relentless pursuit of Hurley over the last several weeks.
Aside from JJ Redick, who has also been connected to the position, the Los Angeles Lakers may do their first official interview with James Borrego, an assistant with the New Orleans Pelicans.
On Sunday, Hurley informed Wojnarowski that the Lakers had made a “compelling case” and offered a “compelling vision” to hire him as their coach. However, Hurley emphasized that he is proud of the legacy he has established with the Huskies, who are now reigning national champions for two years running.
Hurley informed Wojnarowski that he was “extremely impressed” after meeting with Lakers VP and GM Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss. Hurley spent Sunday considering their offer.
Twenty years before they attempted to get Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski to a record-breaking deal in 2004, the Lakers also attempted to recruit Hurley but were unsuccessful. Krzyzewski decided to stay at Duke in the end.
Hurley has become the most sought-after coach in the sport following his historically dominant back-to-back national title seasons. His juggernaut team dominated college basketball, winning the NCAA title for the first time in 17 years and setting a new tournament record with a 140-point differential.
With a preseason top-five squad returning, UConn has a shot at a third consecutive championship. However, the Huskies lost center Donovan Clingan, guard Stephon Castle, and point guard Tristen Newton to the NBA draft.
Following their first-round loss in the Western Conference playoffs, the Lakers dismissed coach Darvin Ham. In two seasons, including 2023, Ham went 94–70 and reached the Western Conference finals.
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