Feb 24, 2024; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley watches from the sideline as they take on the Villanova Wildcats at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

'Such a Mess': Dan Hurley Snubbed Lakers’ Coaching Role After Considering NCAA Legend’s Advice

Originally posted on EssentiallySports | By Pranav Kotai | Last updated Mar 29, 2026 8:58 AM ET

Before the Los Angeles Lakers zeroed in on JJ Redick, they offered a $70 million contract to Dan Hurley. The UConn head coach had a tough decision: either to pursue a three-peat with the Huskies or embrace the spotlight in the NBA. His decision was ultimately to reject that mammoth offer, and many coaching peers, including Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, had a say.

On a recent episode of The Dan Patrick Show, Hurley shared the role Izzo played in his decision. “Coach Izzo, he walked me through just, you know, his thought process when he went through the decision-making of making that move to the NBA and the pros and cons.”

Hurley continued, “The point that the coach had made to me was, you know, hey, ‘I think you really got to consider our sport right now. It’s so unregulated. It’s such a mess.’ Coach has been there for me on lots of different things, and I’ve studied coach for a long time, like I have all the great coaches taking advice from all of them.”

The sentiment to reject the offer of the Purple and Gold franchise remains consistent with what Dan Hurley had said. He ultimately turned down the offer to stay at Storrs. Even his wife, Andrea, convinced him to stay on the East Coast. It was a lucrative six-year, roughly $70 million contract, and not just the money, but to coach in the NBA, that too with the Lakers, that opportunity is rare to come by.

A month after winning the back-to-back NCAA championship, the Purple and Gold franchise came calling. They wanted to rebuild, and who better than Dan Hurley? But Tom Izzo had a different perspective, which he shared on Monday.

“I told him to seriously look at it because I could see where college basketball was going,” Izzo told the media. “But I said, I would hate to lose him because I think he’s all that is right about college basketball. He cares about the kids; he cares about the game. He has to care about the game because of his dad.”

Bob Hurley Sr. is one of only three high school coaches inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was an influential figure in talent-rich New Jersey for more than 40 years. During his time, he won 26 state titles, 4 national championships in 45 seasons, and, more importantly, produced over 150 Division 1 players.

So keeping the legacy to hone the craft of the next generation of college athletes is what the Hurleys do. Izzo only reminded Dan Hurley about this, and the rest was history.

What had transpired over the summer between Dan Hurlet and the Lakers

Before Hurley, Izzo also turned down the opportunity to coach in the NBA, including rejecting the Cavaliers in 2010 and the Hawks in 2000. So Dan knew what the perspective would be. But the process with the Lakers was not straightforward. It took some time for the Hurleys to decide, which led everyone to think that change was coming.

Even his wife, Andrea, spoke about how difficult it truly was. “All day long, we kept going back and forth. So that night, many tears later, we said, ‘Okay, let’s do it at the count of three, let’s do stay or leave.’ And we did 1 2 3, text. And thank goodness we both sent stay,” she recounted previously. Listening to her and other people in his close circle, Dan Hurley rejected the offer, citing family and a greater sense of purpose in college basketball.

The head coach stayed, trying to chase a third consecutive national title with the Huskies, a feat that had not been accomplished since John Wooden’s eight straight. Unfortunately, Hurley couldn’t capture a three-peat with the Huskies. However, Hurley’s commitment to UConn remains unwavering.

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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