UConn title-winning men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley has rejected a $70 million offer to become head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The long-awaited decision comes after the franchise reportedly made a compelling case for the 51-year-old on a lucrative long-term deal when the two-time national champion was in Los Angeles on Friday.
The offer came after the Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham in May 2024 following an 11-game playoff losing streak.
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Ham was let go four days after the Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs by the Denver Nuggets, with a final score of 108-106.
Hurley, a Jersey City native and former Seton Hall guard, did not accept the job, but if he did it would have been one of the fastest promotions in recent coaching history.
He took over the basketball program at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, N.J., from 2001 to 2010 after coaching under his father for a season at St. Anthony High School. Hurley is credited with building the New Jersey school into one of the top high school programs in America.
From 2010 to 2012, Hurley coached at Wagner College and from 2012 to 2018 he coached at the University of Rhode Island before joining the UConn Huskies.
Hurley will return as UConn’s head coach in the fall as he pursues a third straight NCAA title.
