UConn basketball's Dan Hurley with NBA reality check amid controversial antics
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Former NBA general manager Ryan McDonough believes UConn basketball coach Dan Hurley’s fiery sideline demeanor would not be tolerated in the NBA and might have caused issues for the Los Angeles Lakers had he accepted their summer offer.
McDonough, who appeared on SiriusXM NBA Radio with Frank Isola, expressed concern about how Hurley’s emotional style would mesh in the NBA.
“I just think Hurley would burn himself out [in the NBA],” McDonough said. “And that stuff too, falling to your knees, being so demonstrative about calls, that would not fly in the NBA.” McDonough pointed out that the NBA’s environment and its officials are less tolerant of dramatic sideline behavior compared to college basketball.
McDonough noted that there are extreme differences between college and NBA officials, and a lot of Hurley’s style wouldn’t translate to the professional level. “NBA refs would get tired of that pretty quickly,” he explained. “If you’re a ref in the NBA, you don’t take nearly as much lip as some of the college officials do.”
According to McDonough, college officials often have to tolerate more from top coaches like Hurley due to the influence these coaches wield within their conferences and the NCAA. “College refs say privately that these elite coaches have a lot of sway,” he noted. “We have to kind of sit there and take it.”
Hurley, who turned down a lucrative six-year, $70-million contract offer from the Lakers last summer to remain at UConn, has made headlines for his passionate sideline antics.
McDonough speculated that Hurley’s intense emotional style could have been a challenge for the Lakers, stating, “I think it would have been a challenge for the Lakers and Hurley. It’s probably in the best interest of both parties that they were not able to arrive on a deal.”
The Lakers eventually went with JJ Redick as head coach, while Hurley attempted to claim a groundbreaking three-peat with the Huskies.
Dan Hurley continues encounters with officials this season
This season, Hurley’s behavior has included multiple confrontations with officials, with one notable instance occurring on Tuesday night when he was seen shouting at an official who turned to walk away, declaring, “Don’t turn your back on me, I’m the best coach in the f**king sport.”
In response to being caught on camera, Hurley issued a single hashtag response on X:
#B2B!!!
— Dan Hurley (@dhurley15) January 22, 2025
Hurley’s fiery exchanges have become a recurring theme, with another instance in November where he received a technical foul for cursing out an official during a game at the Maui Invitational, contributing to UConn’s loss to Memphis.
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