Dan Hurley’s Comments on Officials After UConn’s Loss Show Pure Class

The final buzzer of a championship loss brought nothing but disappointment for Dan Hurley. But unlike usual, he didn’t have much to blame the officials for in UConn’s defeat. Instead, Hurley chose a different path which many didn’t expect.

After a hard-fought game, the Huskies fell short of winning their third national championship in four years, as Dusty May’s Michigan secured the title. The 69–63 scoreline highlighted just how close the contest was throughout the final. In his postgame press conference, Hurley surprisingly expressed sympathy for the referees.

“It’s hard to ref that game. We both played so hard,” said the UConn coach. He further added, “If I could have those three guys ref every game the rest of my career, I would sleep well at night.” That is quite a statement from Hurley, who is widely known for being critical of officials.