Dan Hurley stands still.
UConn men's basketball coach reportedly turned down lucrative deal to become the Los Angeles Lakers' new head coach hoping to chase a third straight national championship with the Huskies, a feat only accomplished by the UCLA Bruins in the 1960s and again in the early 1970s.
Head coach Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies looks on during the trophy ceremony after the game against the Marquette Golden Eagles during the finals of the Big East basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 16, 2024 in the city of NY. The Huskies won 73-57. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
ESPN was the first to report the news, noting that the six-year, $70 million deal the Lakers put on the table apparently wasn't enough to lure away Hurley. from the University of Connecticut.
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Los Angeles' pursuit of Hurley appeared to be going well, as the veteran basketball coach traveled west to California on Friday to meet with Lakers brass.
But according to the ESPN report, UConn made an offer to Hurley that would make him one of the The highest paid coaches in the NCAA.
The Lakers will have to resume their search to find a replacement for Darvin Ham, who was fired after his second season with the team that resulted in Los Angeles' loss in the first round of the playoffs this year.
LeBron James #23 and head coach Darvin Ham of the Los Angeles Lakers speak during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on November 27, 2023 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images))
LAKERS PRESENTED A 'CONVENIENT CASE' TO ACCEPT HEAD COACHING POSITION, SAYS DAN HURLEY
Hurley, 51, led UConn to back-to-back wins National championships in April, becoming the first coach to do so since Billy Donovan did it with Florida in 2007. And the Huskies did it in dominant fashion, too, becoming just the sixth team in NCAA history to win all six tournament games for double-. digits.
Almost as soon as Hurley cut the net, speculation arose about a possible new job.
But for Hurley, a move didn't seem likely.
UConn head coach Dan Hurley celebrates cutting down the net after their victory against Purdue in the NCAA College Final Four championship basketball game, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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“I can't afford a divorce right now,” Hurley told reporters, laughing. “I just started making some money.”
He signed a six-year, $32.1 million contract last summer, and CT Insider reported in April that another contract was being discussed.
With the NBA out of the picture now, Hurley's goal seems clear: achieve a third title. Easy enough.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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