As he took the podium for his postgame press conference after leading UConn to its second national championship in as many seasons, Dan Hurley was asked a question that wasn’t about the Huskies’ burgeoning dynasty, but rather, if he’s committed to staying in Storrs.
“Dan, I hope I don’t misquote you, but you said something out on the court about UConn giving you all the resources you need. Can we interpret that to mean you intend to be back at UConn next year? You’re not going to entertain any conversations with anybody else that might have a job coming open tomorrow?” the reporter asked.
As Hurley realized the question was a thinly veiled reference to his potential interest in the Kentucky vacancy once John Calipari’s move to Arkansas becomes official, the two-time national champion head coach let out an audible laugh.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don’t think that’s a concern,” Hurley said. “My wife, you should have her answer that… she’ll answer that better than I can.”
The question was an indelicate one — after all, UConn was in the midst of celebrating its second straight national title — but also one worth asking. Considering Hurley’s status as the new face of college basketball and Kentucky being one of the sport’s highest profile programs, it was inevitable that he would be linked to the job opening in Lexington, as unlikely as him leaving UConn mid-dynasty might be.
It might not have been the most appropriate venue to ask Hurley about his future, minutes removed from winning the national championship, but ultimately this was a press conference and not a part of the locker room celebration. Kentucky’s job search will be one of the biggest stories in sports in the weeks ahead and it was important to get Hurley’s reaction to being a potential candidate on record, no matter how awkward it might be.
And as his response showed, it was certainly well worth it.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.