Dan Hurley pushed back against the idea that he used the Los Angeles Lakers’ interest as leverage to get a better contract from UConn.
Appearing on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on Thursday, the two-time head coach said there was no need for a leverage play because the terms of his new contract with UConn were already in place as the Huskies prepare for a win. third consecutive national title.
“One of the worst statements I’ve heard is that this was leverage on my part to improve my situation at UConn,” Hurley said. “I don’t need any influence here. We’ve won back-to-back national championships here… I have a contract here for a few weeks.”
“One of the worst statements I’ve heard is that this was leverage. I don’t need leverage here. We won back-to-back national championships.”
– Dan Hurley shuts down the rumors that this was all some kind of leverage to get a better contract at UConn.
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) June 13, 2024
Hurley said he didn’t use the situation to become the highest-paid coach in college basketball. According to him, his new contract will do that, meaning he’ll make more than the $9.6 million per year that Kansas coach Bill Self is currently paid.
“The financial part, in terms of salary, has been done for a while,” he added. “There’s some other parts, like NIL and staff salaries, some different things that I want adjusted that I’m not comfortable with. But the idea that this was a conspiracy to get me a better deal at UConn is simply: it’s lazy.”
However, Hurley acknowledged that he could have taken the Lakers job if he had received an offer he couldn’t refuse. The Lakers reportedly offered Hurley a six-year deal worth $70 million that would make him one of the NBA’s six highest-paid coaches.
“Leaving a place at any point in your life and saying it’s not a motivating factor — the finances — is definitely something,” Hurley said. “I know how much it means to my dad to go to the Big East tournament and attend 10 UConn games a year at home while I’m coaching against Rick Pitino. To put all that behind you, there’s probably a number, I don’t know what that is.”
Is there any amount the Lakers could have offered Dan Hurley that would have made him leave UConn?
“To say it’s not a motivating factor – the finances – to leave a place, that’s certainly something… To leave all that behind, there’s probably some. I don’t know… pic.twitter.com/5nsMtFNpYn
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) June 13, 2024
In another interview with CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, Hurley said he didn’t say no to the Lakers, but said yes to UConn.
“At the end of the day, I get to coach 18- and 19-year-old kids. And you can make an impact,” he explained. “I’m going to be on the draw in ten days with people whose lives you’ve helped change. That means a lot to me. Once the money, the ego and all that stuff is there, I love coaching. I love running. a program. That’s what’s important to me.”
