UConn's Dan Hurley Consulted With Current NBA Coach Before Lakers Decision
When UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley had to decide on an offer from the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, he consulted one of the few humans in the world who might understand what he was going through.
The Lakers’ courting of Hurley was unsurprisingly a viral, scrutinized saga that ultimately concluded with Hurley rejecting Los Angeles’ six-year, $70 million offer and returning to Storrs.
Before landing on a decision, however, Hurley discussed the matter with his inner circle, as well as with certain coaching figures whose connection to Hurley is not necessarily well-known.
One of those coaches is current Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, who, like Hurley, led his school to back-to-back national championships. Donovan’s Florida Gators won consecutive NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007.
Also like Hurley, Donovan’s massive success at the college level led to NBA teams knocking down his door. Donovan signed a contract with the Orlando Magic on June 1, 2007, only to change his mind and negotiate a buyout with Orlando merely days later.
Donovan returned to Florida and kept coaching college basketball before becoming the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015. He’s been the Bulls coach since 2020.
Given Donovan’s career arc that spans both college and NBA basketball, not to mention his back-to-back titles, it makes perfect sense that Hurley would consult with Donovan about the Lakers decision.
According to CT Insider’s David Borges, the nature of Hurley’s and Donovan’s conversations didn’t focus on the Lakers organization itself, but rather the nature of differences between the NBA and college basketball.
"We didn't get into the Lakers' situation or their personnel," Donovan said per Borges. "I think Danny needed to go through whatever he went through. He was going to be able to find out the inner workings of the Lakers. I don't know anything about that ... Danny had to go through that on his own."
"My whole mindset, the type of coaching that suits me best right now, is certainly college," Hurley said, per Borges. "I want to be able to control my own destiny the best that I can. I schedule my games, I pick the players, I hire my staff. I decide how long we're going to practice, when we're going to practice."
Hurley’s decision to forego the NBA (for now) hasn’t detracted from his influence in the world of basketball.
If anything, Hurley’s choice to return to Storrs (for far less money) has simply reaffirmed where his priorities and values lie, making him all the more beloved by UConn and other basketball fans alike.
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-6cddf44b9a81eadb9d1a4c19c1b3db49.jpeg "Colin Keane")
Colin Keane is a contributing journalist for "UConn Huskies On SI." Born in Illinois, Colin grew up in Massachusetts as the third of four brothers. For his high school education, Colin attended St. Mark's School (Southborough, MA), where he played basketball and soccer and served as student body president. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Villanova University. Colin currently resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "UConn Huskies On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org