UConn's Dan Hurley is the ideal sports heel. So the Kentucky job would be an ideal fit.

Spread the love

GLENDALE, Arizona — Dan Hurley is the epitome of a college basketball villain; he is as arrogant as he is talented, and he is as unavoidable as he is impulsive.

On Monday night, Hurley bullied, yelled, and gesticulated his way to a second consecutive national championship. His UConn Huskies once again breezed through an NCAA Tournament without much of a challenge, including from Purdue, the team that was supposed to be the second-best in the country, which was unable to put up much of a fight in a loss that was 75-60.

As the confetti rained on the Huskies for the sixth time in the last 26 years, Hurley celebrated by saying, “UConn has been running college basketball for the last 25 or 30 years.” He was celebrating with his hat turned backwards.
It is a return to the days when college basketball coaches did not appear to be so corporate, publicly beefed with each other, and told you precisely how terrific they thought they were. Hurley, the son of the famed but explosive high school coach Bob Hurley Sr., is a throwback to those days. Hurley is under the impression – no, he is aware of this – that he is exceptionally talented.

“I’m still just a worse version of (my dad),” Hurley remarked before halting for a while. “Perhaps even more dismal. He is getting better, and I will be coming after him.
After finishing a two-year run that we may never see again in our lifetimes, Hurley’s greatest move would be to trade his clothing for a lighter shade of blue. He is the perfect sports heel, and he belongs at the perfect heel program. After guiding the best team he will ever have, he deserves to be at the perfect heel program.

Hurley should not simply move to Kentucky; rather, he should accept the task of restoring the dominance, pride, and yes, arrogance of the most lavish program in the United States, just as he recovered the University of Connecticut from its brief period of ruin.
“I don’t think that’s a concern,” Hurley said, laughing as I asked if he planned on entertaining any other jobs — including the one that will officially open on Wednesday, when John Calipari officially signs his new contract at Arkansas. “My wife, you should have her answer that. She’ll answer that question better than I can.”

His outward confidence may be hiding a deep-seated fear of leaving his comfort zone in the Northeast and going to a program whose fan base touches all corners of the country. Perhaps he is simply content with where he is at the moment. Perhaps he envisions himself eventually leaving the University of Connecticut for the National Basketball Association, a league in which he would undeniably be able to match X’s and O’s with the best coaches in the world. Whatever the case may be, Kentucky may not be able to recruit Hurley from the frozen farmland of Storrs to the bluegrass of Lexington.

I mean, did you see how UConn completely shut off the water for everyone Monday night except Purdue big man Zach Edey? Did you see how utterly hapless his teammates were making 9-of-29 shots with five combined free-throw attempts? It was Hurley’s Sistine Chapel, a game so perfectly coached against another outstanding coach in Matt Painter that there was seemingly nothing the opponent could do to change the flow of the game.
Did you watch how the University of Connecticut utterly dominated its opponents in each and every game of this tournament by relying solely on fundamentals? For example, they moved without the basketball, closed out on shooters, and remained dedicated to their gameplans to a degree that is practically never seen at the collegiate level.

“They just made a decision, like, we can defend the perimeter and we can take this away from you,” Painter said. “Then you’re just going to get the ball to your best player, he’s going to be one-on-one, then that’s that. They were going to live with that. Not everybody can do what they did. You have to give credit to their defense and how they’re coached and how they’re wired.”

But here’s what you also saw: A coach who lost it with the officials every 30 seconds the entire night, complaining about every call or non-call that didn’t go his way. A 51-year-old with the sideline comportment of a toddler hooked to an IV full of Red Bull. A control freak who was dictating every dribble down to the last second as his son, Andrew, spiked the ball off the floor to end the final possession of UConn’s season. A hothead who had a bit of a stare down with Edey going into a timeout in the first half because he thought an illegal screen went uncalled by the officials.
Trae Young, an All-Star guard for the Atlanta Hawks, commented on X, which was formerly known as Twitter, that “this was the energy he was giving when I played his team in the tournament… dude is crazy. Competitive crazy!” Young was referring to the fact that Hurley’s Rhode Island national team defeated Oklahoma in 2018.

And it is very evident that it is effective at the University of Connecticut. Hurley does not have to go anywhere, and it is not difficult to argue that he should not go anywhere.

But there are only a handful of people in the coaching business who possess the combination of ludicrous coaching acumen and cartoonish arrogance to give Kentucky the atmosphere it so desperately needs to regain after Calipari pulled the ripcord on Sunday, putting an end to his 15-year reign as head coach.

A person with knowledge of the negotiations told USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity that once the ink is dry on the new contract Calipari is going to sign at Arkansas — it is going to happen Wednesday — one of the most interesting coaching searches in the recent history of the sport will begin. Calipari is going to sign the contract on Wednesday.
Trae Young, an All-Star guard for the Atlanta Hawks, commented on X, which was formerly known as Twitter, that “this was the energy he was giving when I played his team in the tournament… dude is crazy. Competitive crazy!” Young was referring to the fact that Hurley’s Rhode Island national team defeated Oklahoma in 2018.

And it is very evident that it is effective at the University of Connecticut. Hurley does not have to go anywhere, and it is not difficult to argue that he should not go anywhere.

A person with knowledge of the negotiations told USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity that once the ink is dry on the new contract Calipari is going to sign at Arkansas — it is going to happen Wednesday — one of the most interesting coaching searches in the recent history of the sport will begin. Calipari is going to sign the contract on Wednesday.
The thesis for why Hurley should take the job is very easy, with the exception of the enormous sums of money that Kentucky can put together to pay him. Hurley must be the first person that Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart calls.

Certainly, after observing what the Huskies have accomplished in the tournament for the past two years in a row, it appears that they have the potential to continue to win and win and win forever.

But in the world of sports, and especially in college basketball, things never actually work out that way. Just ask Billy Donovan, the last coach to go back-to-back. He declined the position of head coach at Kentucky in 2007 and again in 2009, and he only made it to one more Final Four over the course of the following eight seasons before leaving for the National Basketball Association.

Dan Hurley, who plays for the University of Connecticut, is the epitome of a sports heel, and the Kentucky job would be an ideal fit for him.
When it comes to coaching, Dan Hurley possesses that unique combination of ludicrous coaching chops and cartoonish confidence. He has the potential to give Kentucky the aura it is looking to regain.

GLENDALE, Arizona — Dan Hurley is the epitome of a college basketball villain; he is as arrogant as he is talented, and he is as unavoidable as he is impulsive.

He is a throwback to the days when college basketball coaches didn’t seem so corporate, publicly beefed with each other, and told you exactly how good they thought they were. Hurley, the son of the legendary but flammable high school coach Bob Hurley Sr., is a throwback to those days. Hurley believes – no, he knows – that he is really, really good.

“I’m still just a worse version of (my dad),” Hurley remarked before hesitating for a moment. “A little bit worse. Getting better, and I’m coming for him.”

THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams, and more information can be found here.

The ideal sports heel is someone like him. Therefore, he should be a part of the perfect heel program. After finishing a two-year run that we might never see again in our lifetimes, Hurley’s best move would be to trade his gear for a lighter shade of blue. This would be the best move he could do after guiding the best squad he will ever have for his career.

The Connecticut Huskies won their second consecutive national championship on Monday, and their coach, Dan Hurley, celebrated by cutting down the net after his team earned the victory.
When I asked Hurley if he planned on considering any other jobs, including the one that will formally open on Wednesday, when John Calipari will officially sign his new contract at Arkansas, he responded with a laugh and said, “I don’t think that’s a concern.” It would be best if you asked my wife to respond to it. That is a question that she will address more effectively than I can.

When it comes to luring Hurley away from the frigid countryside of Storrs and into the bluegrass of Lexington, it’s possible that Kentucky has no other options. One possible explanation for his apparent self-assurance is that he harbors a profound apprehension about venturing out of his comfort zone in the Northeast and enrolling in a program that resonates with fans from all over the country. Perhaps he is content with his current situation. Perhaps he envisions himself ultimately leaving the University of Connecticut for the National Basketball Association (NBA), a league in which he would unquestionably be able to compete with the top coaches in the world.

Did you see how the University of Connecticut entirely cut off the water supply to everyone on Monday night, with the exception of Zach Edey, the big man for Purdue? Have you seen how completely and utterly hopeless his teammates were, as they only managed to make nine out of thirty-nine shots and five free throws combined? It was Hurley’s Sistine Chapel, a game that was so masterfully coached against another terrific coach in Matt Painter that it appeared as though the opponent could not do anything to shift the flow of the game against them.

Did you watch how the University of Connecticut utterly dominated its opponents in each and every game of this tournament by relying solely on fundamentals? For example, they moved without the basketball, closed out on shooters, and remained dedicated to their gameplans to a degree that is practically never seen at the collegiate level.

Painter stated that they had just made a choice, which was something along the lines of, “We can defend the perimeter, and we can take this away from you.” “At that point, all you have to do is pass the ball to your best player, in which case he will be facing off against you, and then that will be it. That was something that they were going to have to deal with. No one is capable of accomplishing what they achieved. It is your responsibility to give credit to their defense, as well as to the way they are coached and the way they are wired.

But here is something else that you witnessed: a coach who lost his cool with the officials every thirty seconds throughout the entire night, whining about every call or non-call that didn’t go his way. An individual who is 51 years old and has the demeanor of a child who is hooked up to an intravenous line full of Red Bull. To the point where his son, Andrew, spiked the ball off the floor to finish the final possession of the season for the University of Connecticut, a control freak who was dictating every dribble down to the very last second. There was a hothead who had a bit of a stare down with Edey, and he went into a timeout during the first half of the game because he believed that the umpires had failed to call an illegal screen.

He was giving me this kind of enthusiasm when I was playing his squad in the tournament… this guy is absolutely insane. Madness for competition!Trae Young, an All-Star guard for the Atlanta Hawks, tweeted on X, which was then known as Twitter, a reference to the victory that Hurley’s Rhode Island team had over Oklahoma in 2018.

It is evident that it is successful at the University of Connecticut. It is not necessary for Hurley to travel anywhere. There is a strong possibility that you may argue that he should not travel anyplace.

Mitch Barnhart, the director of sports at the University of Kentucky, should go to Hurley first. In addition, the argument for why Hurley ought to accept the position is not very complicated, with the exception of the enormous sums of money that Kentucky is able to accumulate in order to compensate him.

Certainly, after observing what the Huskies have accomplished in the tournament for the past two years in a row, it appears that they have the potential to continue to win and win and win forever.

Nevertheless, in the world of athletics, and particularly in college basketball, things never truly work out that way. Ask Billy Donovan, the last coach to go back-to-back, who declined the position of head coach at Kentucky in 2007 and again in 2009. He went on to make it to the Final Four only once more over the course of the following eight seasons before leaving for the National Basketball Association.

If you want to know what happened, simply ask Calipari, whose run at Kentucky began to deteriorate at the same moment that it appeared as though he had discovered the formula to rule college basketball till the end of time.

The lemon has a finite amount of juice, and even for the very best, there is only so much juice in it.

There are many reasons why Hurley has won two championships at this point, but among the most significant are the fact that he and his coaching staff were able to recruit a point guard in the form of Tristen Newton, a zero-star recruit who began his career at East Carolina, and a defensive freak in the form of Donovan Clingan, who played high school basketball 45 minutes away from the campus of the University of Connecticut.
He might be able to do it once more. It’s possible that he can’t. Especially in this day and age, there is no such thing as certainty.

“We are going to dive in and put together a roster that is capable of playing a comparable level of basketball,” Hurley stated while assessing the situation. “That is the frame of mind that we shall adopt. In addition to a two-year run, we are going to make an effort to put together a run that spans three years.

Once again, we are going to make an effort to reproduce it, and I don’t believe that we are going anywhere.

A Big East university that spends like a superpower on basketball while also spending millions on a football program that does not have a league to compete in, the University of Connecticut has remained the ultimate outlier in college athletics despite the fact that the odds against it are quite ridiculous.

It’s not the most sustainable model on paper, and UConn’s long-term future is always going to exist in a weird state of financial purgatory until it figures out a way to earn more television revenue — which may or may not happen in its current situation. As good as the Big East has been for UConn basketball ever since moving back there from the American Athletic Conference in 2020, it’s still uncertain how much money the league will be able to get from its next TV contract that will commence in 2025.
Is it better for the University of Connecticut to remain in its current location, given the turbulent landscape of conference realignment and the possibility of a new employment model for college athletes in the near future? Does the University of Connecticut eventually need to end up in the Atlantic Coast Conference or the Big 12 in order to keep its national brand and its ability to compete in basketball? Nobody can answer those questions at this time.

However, we are aware of where Kentucky will be: in the most prestigious athletic league, paying someone a significant amount of money, and accepting nothing less than the very best on the field.

Maybe Hurley does not believe that kind of environment is suitable for him, which is fine because it is his life and his career. However, a marriage between the most insane fan base in college sports and the most emotionally volatile genius of the moment in the sport would be a marriage that would change the course of history and that anyone would want to witness, with the exception of Kentucky’s opponents and fans of the University of Connecticut.

Spread the love

Related posts: