NCAA Championship Coach Dan Hurley Declines to Coach the Lakers

According to NBA insider Woj, NCAA championship-winning coach and UConn men's basketball head coach Dan Hurley has rejected a six-year, $70 million contract from the Lakers, deciding instead to remain at UConn.

Dan Hurley has been the head coach of the UConn men's basketball team since 2018 and led them to back-to-back NCAA Division I national championships in 2023 and 2024, becoming the first coach to achieve this feat since Billy Donovan. During his tenure in the NCAA, he has been renowned for his complex offensive systems, diverse pick-and-roll schemes, and excellent player development, earning recognition as one of the greatest coaches in NCAA history.



After firing their head coach Ham in May, the Lakers have been searching for a new head coach. Former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick, Pelicans assistant coach James Borrego, and Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell have all been mentioned in rumors regarding the Lakers' coaching search. Recently, Dan Hurley's name unexpectedly surfaced in discussions about the Lakers' coaching candidates. According to reporters, the Lakers planned to offer UConn head coach Dan Hurley an approximately eight-year, $100 million contract. It was reported that Hurley specifically flew to California on Friday, June 7th, local time, to meet with Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss. The Lakers were very eager to reach an agreement to hire the two-time NCAA national champion coach as their head coach.



After Hurley declined the contract, Woj reported that despite being impressed by the Lakers' pursuit and their vision for him, Hurley ultimately could not pass up the opportunity to make history by winning a third NCAA championship. According to sources, even before negotiations with the Lakers, Hurley had already received an offer from UConn to become one of the highest-paid coaches in the NCAA, and these negotiations will continue.