UConn head coach Dan Hurley is one of today’s best college basketball coaches. After winning back-to-back National Championships, every top program in the country was looking to see if he would be available. In a shocking move, the Los Angeles Lakers have their eyes set on doing whatever it takes to pry Dan Hurley from UConn.
The big question is should Dan Hurley stay or go? Well, it’s not as simple as many think so here are some pros for each side.
UConn
In just six seasons coach Hurley has a record of 141-58 at UConn, along with winning back-to-back National championships in 2023 and 2024. They became the eighth program in NCAA history to win back-to-back titles.
Hurley hasn’t just brought championships to UConn but he has changed the entire program from where it was when he first took over and in just a short time turned them around.
With Hurley accomplishing “basically everything” you can dream of in college basketball, what should make him stay at UConn instead of going to LA? Well, for starters there has only been one program that has three-peated (UCLA 1967-1973). If UConn could pull this off, Hurley’s name would be atop the all-time list of college coaches.
Despite losing a majority of the key pieces from this year’s championship team, UConn got better again and are the favorite to win the championship in 2025.
The biggest reason that he should stay at UConn is job security, it’s rare for a coach to be given a chance to coach without having fear of being fired if they have a couple of bad seasons. With all that Dan Hurley has done with this program, it’s safe to say a contract extension is in the works if he turns down the opportunity with the Lakers.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are one of the most popular franchises in all of sports, so being able to coach for the Lakers is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So with just that alone, the Lakers can easily attract any coach on the market.
Despite the Lakers not having a “championship roster” they still have Lebron James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers also have a chance to draft Bronny James, who is a staple point for Dan Hurley since he is a player who needs development before being pro-ready.
Despite having a coaching carousel the past couple of years even though they were winning, it seems like the Lakers are willing to go long-term moving forward and thinking about the future instead of the present if they hire the 51-year-old.
Over the next few days, Hurley will have the biggest decision of his life as he will choose UConn or the Lakers. When he makes this decision it’s safe to say one program will have their hearts broken.
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