Geno Auriemma has perhaps added the oddest twist in the Dan Hurley to the Los Angeles Lakers discussion.
In fact, during an interview with Dan Patrick on Thursday, the UConn women’s basketball head coach recalled making a crack about Hurley coaching the Lakers and winning a lot of championships. Of course, the UConn head men’s coach has often riffed about the allure of the NBA potentially being there, but Auriemma probably didn’t think his pretty innocuous comment would lead to anything.
“You know, this is really funny because I happened to be at a thing with him last night,” Auriemma said Thursday on Patrick’s show. “And I have no idea what’s going on. I have no idea where this is going or what’s happening, but I just leaned over, and I said, ‘Hey, I think you could win a lot of championships with the Lakers, more so than a guy who’s never coached (JJ Redick).’ And he just looked at me and nodded, and we had a good laugh.”
Little did Auriemma know that his comments would be fortuitous.
“This morning, I wake up and voilà,” said Auriemma. “So, I don’t know what’s going on. It would be a bad day for UConn, for sure, if this happens. And it would be a great, great day for Dan Hurley, and I’m sure a bittersweet day for Dan Hurley.”
Patrick wanted to make sure Auriemma was being serious.
“Out of nowhere, I just leaned over, and I said — you know, I don’t know why it came to me; I don’t know why. But I said it, and if you ask him, he’ll tell you,” Auriemma added. “I had no idea. And I woke up this morning — somebody sent it to me — and I went, ‘You gotta be kidding me.'”
Patrick acknowledges that Hurley hasn’t expressed interest in other college jobs. He suggests that if Hurley ever considered the NBA, it would likely be when he felt ready for the challenge. This Lakers opportunity came sooner than expected, but Patrick speculates that the current climate in college basketball might make the NBA a more attractive option for Hurley, especially considering the possibility of a three-peat at UConn.
“All those are true,” Auriemma replied. “I think the state of college basketball is a mess. If anybody could manage it, though, it would be Danny because he coaches this program like it’s a high school program — like he coached at Saint Benedict’s. Their player development program is second to none. But I do think that being at UConn and given the state of college basketball and the amount of money now it’s gonna take to be able to put together a National Championship team every single year — and without knowing where it’s going.
“It’s a charade, this idea of student-athlete welfare. Every single thing that comes out of the NCAA’s mouth about student-athlete welfare — it’s bulls**t. That has no factor ever anymore. And I never want to hear anybody utter those words associated with college basketball. They’re professional athletes, just not called that. So, you might as well go coach professional athletes where it’s real.”
Despite the well-known coaching difficulties in the NBA, Auriemma can’t deny the appeal of a Brad Stevens-type opportunity, especially with a powerhouse like the Lakers. He acknowledges to Patrick that while Andrea (Hurley’s wife) might not be thrilled with his advice, this is a chance Hurley can’t refuse.
“It’s a huge family decision, no question about it,” he added.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.