Dan Hurley recently revealed during a radio interview that his decision to turn down a lucrative offer to coach the Los Angeles Lakers was not an attempt to gain leverage in negotiations with UConn. Instead, he had already agreed to a new contract with the university and the financial terms had been settled for some time.
The Huskies head coach discussed the difficult choice he faced between coaching the Lakers and returning to UConn to chase a third consecutive NCAA championship. He emphasized that his success at UConn, including back-to-back national championships, made it clear that his decision was not driven by a desire for leverage in negotiations.
While Hurley admitted that coaching LeBron James and the Lakers would have been exciting, he did not have any contact with James during the interview process. Despite the potential offer from Los Angeles, Hurley reiterated his commitment to UConn and expressed gratitude for the support he has received from the university.
Kentucky also expressed interest in hiring Hurley following the departure of John Calipari, but Hurley ultimately decided to stay at UConn. He is set to become the highest-paid college coach in the nation with his new contract, which includes adjustments for staff salaries and other factors beyond just his own salary.
