Who would have thought the biggest NCAA Tournament controversy would have been UConn head coach Dan Hurley popping off in the tunnel after being eliminated?
Hurley complaining about referees is nothing new. But this time his whining and complaining was caught by local North Carolina sports reporter Joey Ellis. In the hours and days that followed, the video spun off a new controversy of its own after Ellis was threatened by UConn communications director Bobby Mullen. Mullen told Ellis that he would “ruin his life” over publishing the video of Hurley telling Baylor he hoped they didn’t get “—ed” like his team apparently did in their Round of 32 loss to top seed Florida.
That news cycle has generated even more takes, like ones coming from Seth Greenberg that the tunnel leading from the locker room to the floor is somehow a “sacred space” that should be guarded more closely than our government’s war plans.
But thankfully before things could get even more absurd, Ellis took to X once again on Tuesday to say that he had spoken to Mullen, received an apology, and now considered the matter closed.
It would have been nice if Mullen and UConn had offered a public apology in the first place instead of the terse statement that was initially given, blaming Ellis for capturing Dan Hurley in an unflattering moment while he was shouting profanities to anyone within earshot.
But at least for now, this should put this story to bed. At least until the next Dan Hurley outburst that gets captured for the entire world to hear.
About Matt Yoder