Dan Hurley rejects Lakers offer, stays at UConn
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Dan Hurley has turned down the Los Angeles Lakers' six-year, $70 million offer and will return to chase a third straight national title at UConn, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Lakers would have made Hurley one of NBA's six highest-paid coaches. But before opening talks with the Lakers, Hurley already had an offer from UConn to become one of highest-paid NCAA coaches, and those talks will continue, sources told Wojnarowski.
Hurley signed a six-year, $32.1 million deal with UConn after the 2022-23 season.
After a dogged pursuit of Hurley over past weeks, the Lakers will regroup and resume bringing in candidates for interviews with hope of hiring a coach by the NBA draft later this month, sources told Wojnarowski.
New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego is expected to remain part of the group of Los Angeles' candidates, and the Lakers could do their first formal interview with JJ Redick, who also has been linked to the job.
Hurley told Wojnarowski on Sunday that the Lakers made a "compelling case" and presented a "compelling vision" for him to become their next coach but that he loves what he has built with the two-time defending national champion Huskies.
Hurley also told Wojnarowski that he left "extremely impressed" with Lakers VP and GM Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss and had been spending Sunday weighing their offer.
Shortly before the ESPN report, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, who was in contact with Hurley throughout the weekend, said the state will "make sure he's the top-paid college coach" if he remains with the Huskies.
Hurley is 141-58 in his six seasons at UConn and 292-163 overall in 14 seasons as a collegiate coach - adding in his years at Wagner and Rhode Island.
He's gone through four losing seasons in that span; his first year at Wagner, his first two at Rhode Island and his first year at UConn. Once he gets it rolling, the wins just pile up: take away how those stops started, and Hurley's record is 241-90 - a .728 winning percentage.
And he's been rewarded for that success; last June, he signed a $32.1 million, six-year deal.
"We're going to try to replicate it again," Hurley said in April after winning the second straight national title. "We're going to maintain a championship culture. We're bringing in some very talented high school freshmen. Our returning players, through player development, will take a big jump. We'll strategically add through the portal. I don't think that we're going anywhere."
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Information from ESPN and The Associated Press
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