A week ago, the possible arrival of Dan Hurley to the Lakers was about to shake up the landscape of the NBA, but also that of the NCAA. On the table, an offer of $70 million over six years to coach the most prestigious NBA franchise. The leaders of the Lakers had hidden their game well, and they were on the verge of a huge coup: recruiting the best university coach.
And then, upon returning from Los Angeles, Hurley surprised everyone: he preferred to refuse the offer, and go for a third title in a row with UConn. With his wife, they are on the same wavelength, and he now has to announce it to his players. But he doesn't tell them right away…
He takes advantage of the naivety of his players
The two-time NCAA champion announced his decision to his agent, the Lakers and his managers. But not to his players, and he brings them together in the locker room.
“I used this situation to my advantage as a coach, asking them to be fully involved,” reveals Hurley. “I had made up my mind before I walked into the locker room, but I demanded a commitment to excellence from them, and they didn't really know what I was doing when I walked in. It was a bit as if I had said to them: “Whatever you say and your involvement will make the difference”. Which was a lie. I had already made my decision. »
When Hurley says he used “this situation to his advantage,” he is referring to the ages of his players. “It’s for this season that I like to train young people of this age. They are dumber than NBA players. I wouldn't have been able to do that kind of thing. [chez les pros]. But the group was fully committed, and then I told them.”
Support from its players
Players who had supported him when he told them he was going to Los Angeles to study the Lakers' offer. This complicity and transparency are at the heart of UConn’s success.
“He asked me what I thought of his offer and the feedback from the rest of the team,” says Alex Karaban. “I was just trying to make sure the team had a good mindset at that point, because we had a lot of disruption. I was disturbed by registering for the Draft. The coach was a little too. So he wanted to make sure the team itself was in a good frame of mind. Then we had a good talk and I told him, “I'm glad you're thinking about it, everyone's happy you're thinking about it, we wanted you to think about it because we know it's your dream.” . He thought things through and did what was best for him. And we are all very happy that he is back.”
