According to USA Today, May’s bonuses in the NCAA Tournament were as follows: $50,000 for appearing in the first round, $75,000 for reaching the second stage, $100,000 for making it to the Sweet Sixteen, $150,000 for their Elite Eight appearance, $200,000 for playing in the Final Four, $300,000 for qualifying to the national title game, and $400,000 for winning it all.

With the national title conquest, May bolstered his case to win the the National Coach of the Year award. Such an accomplishment would secure an extra $50,000 for May. Had Michigan lost against UConn, May would have taken home a $300,000 paycheck, missing out on the extra $100,000. It wasn’t like he would’ve had to pinch pennies, but his team’s triumph still secured him even more money.

Hurley misses out on a fortune

As for Hurley, had UConn defeated Michigan at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, he would’ve walked away with a whopping $1.275 million bonus. Even with the national title loss, Hurley is earning more in bonuses than May is for his historic conquest with the program in Ann Arbor.

Hurley has earned $775,000 thanks to the NCAA Tournament bonuses in his contract. Cutting down the nets of March Madness is priceless, but Hurley already knows how that feels, and securing $775,000 definitely makes the pain easier to withstand.

Hurley’s bonuses breakdown

Hurley’s contract bonuses are as follows: $25,000 for an NCAA Tournament appearance, $50,000 for UConn’s win in the first round, $75,000 for making it out of the second round, $125,000 for the Sweet Sixteen triumph. The win over Duke in the Elite Eight meant an extra $200,000 for Hurley, whereas the Final Four victory added $300,000 to the total.

A national championship would’ve handed Hurley the final $500,000. Most importantly, it would’ve earned him a seat in the debate for the greatest college basketball head coach of all time. However, May and Michigan prevented that with a staple performance. Now, the Wolverines are national champions for the first time since 1989.

“I am a UConn coach until the end. Maybe, [I leave for the] NBA some day down the line. But no, I’m a UConn coach, man,” Hurley stated during an interview with Jeff Goodman from Field of 68.

As tempting as coaching the Tar Heels may be for any coach in college basketball, Hurley’s commitment to the Huskies is rock solid. Not many—if any—coaches have it better than him at Storrs. Thus, it makes sense why Hurley isn’t paying any attention to the outside noise. As he made it clear, if he is to leave UConn it’ll be to take the next step and coach in the NBA.

Hurley turned down NBA years ago

Coming off back-to-back college basketball national championships with the Huskies in 2023 and 2024, Hurley was handed a very appealing contract offer by the Los Angeles Lakers. According to reports at the time, the 17-time NBA champions offered Hurley a six-year, $70 million deal. Hurley would’ve become one of the highest-paid coaches in the league, but he felt his time with Connecticut was only getting started.

Shortly after, he was inked to an extension in the “Basketball Capital of the World.” Per USA Today, Hurley’s contract in Storrs runs through the 2029–30 NCAA season. When the time comes, who knows where Hurley will head?

National Championship Game

At the moment, though, Hurley only has time to focus on the immediate future. And that deserves his full attention, as the Huskies are set to do battle with the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 6 at 8:50 p.m. ET.

Hurley and UConn have a date with history, as well as a not-so-fun meeting with No. 1 Michigan, which looks downright unstoppable, outscoring opponents by a 107-point margin so far in the NCAA Men’s Tournament. As for UConn, its plus/minus is +41.

“We don’t hang banners for Final Fours at UConn. We hang National Championship banners,” Hurley said, via @MarchMadnessMBB on X. “We came here for rings, not watches. Everyone that makes the Final Four gets a beautiful watch, but only one group will get a ring. If you want to hang a banner, get locked in on Illinois.”

Hurley’s message should have the Huskies ready to run through a brick wall when the action tips off at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. UConn and Illinois are set to do battle on April 4 at 6:09 p.m. ET. The winner will then await its next opponent, as No. 1 Arizona and No. 1 Michigan will square off shortly after at the same venue.

UConn is coming off historic win over Duke

Of the remaining teams in the Final Four, UConn is the only one to have knocked off a No. 1 seed—and it did so in unforgettable fashion, as Braylon Mullins drilled a three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the regional final against Duke. Regardless of how the season ends for UConn, it has already produced the most iconic play of this NCAA Tournament—a moment that will transcend generations.

Still, as Hurley would agree, the Huskies aren’t in the dance for highlight-reel plays; they’re here to win it all. Now, they are only two wins away from achieving just that.

How many times has UConn won the NCAA Tournament?

UConn is eyeing its third NCAA Tournament championship in four years. Moreover, the school could capture its 7th national championship in NCAA history. UConn has been crowned in 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, and 2024.

Hurley’s legacy at UConn

Hurley continues to make his case as one of the best head coaches of all time in college basketball. In his eighth season as head coach in Storrs, Hurley is looking to match Jim Calhoun’s championship total at three. The difference is that Calhoun led UConn’s program for 26 seasons—Hurley could equal that haul in less than a third of the time.

Wooga Poplar has had a strong year this season. However, Eric Dixon might as well be the most unstoppable player in all of college basketball 15 games into the season.

That’s why, with his team getting ready to face him on Tuesday night, Coach Hurley tipped his hat to the big man, putting him ahead of players like Ace Bailey or Cooper Flagg.

Dan Hurley names Eric Dixon ‘the hardest guy to guard in college’

“I think (Dixon is) the hardest guy to guard in college basketball,” the Huskies coach said. “That 1-2 punch that they’ve got with [Eric] Dixon and [Wooga] Poplar is as good a 1-2 combo as you’re going to play against,” Hurley continued.

Looking at Dixon’s numbers, it’s honestly hard to disagree with that statement. He’s a Player of the Year candidate with a whopping 25.9 points per game on 49% shooting from beyond the arc.

Needless to say, the Huskies will have to bring their A-Game to contain a player of Dixon’s caliber. But if someone can crack the code, that’s most definitely coach Hurley.

To add insult to injury — literally — Alex Karaban was diagnosed with a concussion after a collision late in the game vs. Dayton, so he was forced to watch the next two games from the sidelines.

That’s when McNeleey emerged as their savior. He poured in 16 points to help beat Maryland Eastern Shore, and then scored 17 points in a tougher win over No. 15 Baylor. Now, looking back, coach Dan Hurley shared a hilarious quote about recruiting him.

Dan Hurley shares candid quote about recruiting Liam McNeeley

“He’s one of us before he commits here,” Hurley said. “And you’re like if this kid goes anywhere else, he’s an idiot, is what you’re saying to yourself. And you’re also saying, man, we need him badly.”

Fortunately for the program, McNeeley wasn’t an idiot. More than that, the forward has helped the team win six consecutive games since that disastrous run in Hawaii.

During that span, he’s averaged 16.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, and he’s also been a disruptive defender as well. Now, coach Hurley’s team is right back in the mix as one of the best in the nation.

The Huskies have won the past two NCAA national championships, and with Hurley being in full control, it was hard to walk away from that kind of structure, even for the pros.

They’re now 10-3 for the season, and while some believe they’re not as strong in years past, coach Hurley does. Still, when asked about last year’s roster, the coach admitted that chemistry was unmatched.

Dan Hurley raves about 2024 Huskies

“Last year’s team was just well put together personality-wise. We just complemented each other in every way. Played such a level of bullet-proof basketball. No weaknesses,“ Hurley told the Huskies’ video department.

Junior forward Alex Karaban has been with the team over the past two titles, so it was hard for him not to feel the same way as his coach regarding their championship squad:

“I think it was the best college team of all time and just to do what we did in the tournament and just how dominant we were,” he said. “We lost Cam, Tristen, Steph and Donovan. It was tough losing those guys, but we got a great team this year.”

The Huskies went 37-3 last season, and while it might be almost impossible to match that record this season, they’ve proven that they cannot be slept on or overlooked.

This was their first win in a home conference opener in the past 13 seasons, which only speaks volumes about how tough it is to win in this kind of setting, even for a top-notch program.

Moreover, it seems like the Huskies may have had a secret weapon. Apparently, Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla paid them a little visit in the locker room, and coach Hurley was quite thankful for it.

Dan Hurley thanks Joe Mazzulla for locker room visit

“Shoutout to Joe for showing up. I think he enjoyed it. He likes Big East basketball,” Hurley told Joe Arruda.

Hurley talks about Mazzulla’s philosophy

Even so, as much as they’re both champions in their own craft, Hurley admits Mazzulla’s offensive approach isn’t what he’s looking for with the Huskies, who are more of a defensive-oriented team:

“I know Joe’s got a different mentality. He wants to be an aggressor with the Celtics this year,” Dan Hurley said. “We look at it in a way where we’re gonna defend it with our lives. Somebody’s gonna have to rip it out of our lifeless hands this year.”

At the end of the day, coaches need to adapt to their players and not the other way around. There’s no correct way to win a championship, and getting the job done is all that matters.

The Huskies held onto a three-point lead at the half. Then, when the Bulldogs threatened to make things interesting, they went on a 10-run to take care of business.

Hurley’s team wound up winning the game 77-71 in front of a packed arena. Following the win, he talked about this impressive milestone in his head coaching career, praising his players for it.

Dan Hurley sheds light on 300th career win

“To be able to beat a team of that caliber with Alex (Karaban) having a bad shooting game,” Hurley said. “Solo (Ball) being in foul trouble and having a bad shooting game, I think it speaks to the makeup of these players. They’re the magic dust.”

Ball was in early foul trouble and was just 2-of-7 from the floor. Karaban, on the other hand, shot 30% from the floor and missed all of his seven three-pointers. Still, the team rallied together.

Hurley spent eight years at Wagner and Rhode Island before arriving in Connecticut back in 2018. Now, with 149 wins in charge of the Huskies, his overall record sits at 300-166.

We’re talking about two of the strongest programs in all of college basketball, and while the AP Rankings show a big gap between them, it shouldn’t be like that once the ball hits the deck.

Moreover, there will be more at stake than just their record or bragging rights. Dan Hurley knows that he needs to stop Gonzaga star G Ryan Nembhard to honor his brother.

Dan Hurley vows to protect his brother’s record from Ryan Nembhard

Nembhard is currently averaging a whopping 10.7 assists per game. With that in mind, Hurley talked about slowing him down to make sure he doesn’t break his brother’s record:

“His speed and the offense that he generates for his team, and he’s assisting at such an incredibly high rate that I had my people just check to make sure he couldn’t catch my brother [former Duke Blue Devils point guard Bobby Hurley, who owns the NCAA men’s all-time assists record with 1,076 assists],” the coach said.

The coach then broke down Nembhard’s game and numbers, and while he knows his brother’s record might not be within reach, he has to do his part to limit his playmaking opportunities:

“I saw he’s averaging double-figures in assists … but it looks like Bob’s safe, unless [Nembhard]’s got a COVID year or something potentially. But yeah, he’s one of the best point guards in the country,” Hurley added. “He creates all types of problems for you in transition, in the ball-screen game and his ability to put pressure into defense. But overall they have a great, great offense.”

Of course, slowing down a player like Nembhard will be way easier said than done. But if someone can crack down the code, that might definitely be Dan Hurley.

Notably, a lot of that had to do with Aidan Mahaney’s explosion, as he hit consecutive shots from beyond the arc in the first half to shift the game’s momentum in favor of the Huskies.

That moment will go down in history, as coach Dan Hurley made the rounds online for his reaction to the shots. As the Bears called a timeout and Mahaney headed to the bench, his coach headbutted him. When asked about him, the coach had a hilarious response.

Dan Hurley jokes about viral moment with Aidan Mahaney

“He punched me in the chest,” Hurley claimed. “That’s why I’m talking so slow. I think I might have cracked a rib.

Coach Hurley praises Mahaney’s impact

Following the triumph, Hurley tipped his hat to his sharpshooting, crediting him for his timely three-pointers and the emotional impact it had on the rest of his team.

“He rose like a phoenix out of the ashes today. I’m not sure if you saw that on the sideline today,” Hurley said. “That was important for him to have a moment like that. I think he saved us today in the first half. I think his season will start now for him. I think you’ll see a guy that’s going to give us what we hoped he would give us.”

The Huskies’ road won’t get much easier in the upcoming days, though. They have a date with 7-1 Texas on Sunday before meeting No. 7 Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden.

Dan Hurley’s team will square up against the No. 15 Baylor Bears. They haven’t looked particularly sharp lately, ending their 17-game winning streak with three losses to free-fall 23 spots in the AP Top 25 rankings.

Needless to say, their statement win over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday was quite necessary, but it didn’t do much to shift the sentiment back in their favor.

Dan Hurley urges his players to step up

“If we want to win this game tomorrow, some people are gonna have to announce themselves in college basketball,” Coach Hurley said when asked about his team’s upcoming matchup with Baylor. “We also know we’re playing a top-level team, so it’s a big game for us and it’s a big game for them.”

Following that crucial clash, the Huskies will also square up vs. the likes of Gonzaga and Xavier, and coach Hurley knows his team could be a victim of their own expectations:

“The psyche from the monster we’ve created as a staff and team is jarring,” Hurley said.

Of course, there’s still plenty of time to turn things around, and one should know better than to count the Huskies out. Then again, for now, it’ll take a lot for people to believe in them again.