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Two-time national champion men's basketball head coach Dan Hurley is reportedly staying at UConn, turning down a six-year, $70 million offer from the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday (June 10).
"BREAKING: Connecticut’s Dan Hurley has turned down the Los Angeles Lakers’ six-year, $70 million offer and will return to chase a third straight national title, sources tell ESPN. LA would’ve made him one of NBA’s six highest paid coaches," Wojnarowski wrote on his X account. "As swept away as Hurley became by the Lakers courtship and vision for him, he ultimately couldn't walk away from a chance to make history and pursue a third straight NCAA title. Even before Lakers talks, Hurley already had a UConn offer to become one of highest paid NCAA coaches and those talks will continue, per sources."
Hurley, 51, previously told Wojnarowski that he was left "extremely impressed" with Lakers vice president and general manager Rob Pelinka and team owner Jeanie Buss, who made a "compelling case" and presented a "compelling vision" last Thursday (June 6) and Friday (June 7) but loves what he's built at UConn following back-to-back national championships.
Last week, Wojnarowski reported that the Lakers were "preparing a massive" offer to Hurley.
Hurley has reportedly been Los Angeles' primary target throughout its coaching search, despite the franchise interviewing several other candidates, according to the sources. The former point guard agreed to a six-year, $31.1 million extension to remain UConn's head basketball coach through the 2028-29 season last June, which came two months after becoming the third coach to lead the Huskies to a national championship, following Jim Calhoun (1999, 2004, 2011) and Kevin Ollie (2014), in April.
UConn repeated as national champions with a 75-60 win against Purdue in the March Madness Tournament Final at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, earning its sixth national title in program history and tying North Carolina for third all-time behind only UCLA (11) and Kentucky (8). The Huskies concluded the 2024 NCAA Tournament with a +140 point differential, the highest total in March Madness history, defeating No. 16 Stetson (91-52), No. 9 Northwestern (75-58), No. 5 San Diego State (82-52), No. 3 Illinois (86-72) and No. 4 Alabama (86-72) en route to their second consecutive national title.
Hurley previously shut down rumors of potential interest in Kentucky's coaching vacancy, joking that his coaching career had previously moved his wife, Andrea, a fellow New Jersey native, and that he wasn't taking a chance on relocating again, in April.