Dan Hurley has built UConn into one of the premier programs in college basketball since taking over in 2018. The Huskies are now headed to their third national title game in four seasons, facing the Michigan Wolverines on Monday night.
Ahead of the game, Hurley spoke with The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman and was asked about the open North Carolina coaching vacancy — a topic he has been linked to in recent rumors. Hurley quickly shut it down, making it clear he is fully committed to UConn.
That said, he did hint at the one job “down the line” that could make him consider leaving UConn: a head coaching role in the NBA. He had a chance at such an opportunity back in 2024 when the Los Angeles Lakers offered him a lucrative contract, but he ultimately declined and returned to UConn on a new deal that runs through the 2029–30 season.
“I’m the UConn coach until the end, and maybe the NBA someday down the line. But yeah, I’m the UConn coach,” Hurley said.
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Back in 2024, Hurley reflected on what intrigued him about the possibility of making the jump to the NBA before ultimately turning the Lakers job down.
“It’s something I wanted to explore,” Hurley said. “The opportunity to potentially coach the Lakers, to work with one of the greatest players of all time… to lead such a storied franchise, and to walk the sidelines where some of the greatest ever — Pat Riley and Phil Jackson — coached. It was something I had to explore, consider, and see what it looked like.”
“You think about the two places you’re choosing between: coaching the back-to-back champs at UConn or the L.A. Lakers,” Hurley added. “There aren’t many coaches who have had to make that choice between those two options for their career.”
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