For the second consecutive offseason, Dan Hurley was tied to an NBA coaching vacancy. This time, however, he was quick to dismiss that narrative and let everybody know that he wasn’t interested.
Whether he was actually a candidate to replace Tom Thibodeau and take the reins of the New York Knicks is unclear, but Hurley wanted to make it loud and clear that he wanted to stay at UConn.
Of course, some fans and analysts may have taken this as a dig at the Knicks. Nevertheless, it didn’t have anything to do with them; he just doesn’t see himself as an NBA coach.
Dan Hurley says he’s a ‘college coach’
“So yeah, no, that’s not even something I thought about (or) considered,” he told Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant. “I’m a college coach.”
Hurley referred to himself as the best coach in college basketball last season, so that’s clearly a part of his identity. Also, he turned down the Los Angeles Lakers’ approach despite their very lucrative offer.
He’s building one of the most impressive coaching résumés in college basketball history. The lights might be brighter somewhere else, but Hurley knows that the grass isn’t always greener.