UConn's Dan Hurley turned down a six-year, $70 million offer from the Lakers

Last week, the Lakers grabbed headlines as their pursuit of UConn coach Dan Hurley was reported. Even though the tactician signed a six-year extension with the Huskies in 2023, he still had a chance to accept the job in Los Angeles, as they are looking to find a replacement for Darwin Ham.

However, the back-to-back national champion announced Tuesday that he has decided to sit it out and turn down a reported six-year, $70 million deal. Shortly after his decision became public, he released a statement about the plan.

“I'm excited about all of this happening,” said Hurley. “At the end of the day, I'm very proud of the culture of excellence that we've built in Connecticut. We came together as a team before today's training and our focus now is to get better this summer and connect as a team as we continue to pursue titles.”

BREAKING: Connecticut's Dan Hurley turned down a six-year, $70 million offer from the Los Angeles Lakers and will return to chase a third straight national title, sources tell ESPN. LA would make him one of the six highest paid coaches in the NBA. pic.twitter.com/hEXo3o00SR

– Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 10, 2024

Everyone at UConn is very excited to hear the news, according to their Athletic Director David Benedict. “We are thrilled that Dan Hurley has made the decision to stay at UConn and continue to build on our championship tradition.

“He helped bring the men's basketball program back to the top of the sport, including back-to-back NCAA Championships, and we appreciate his loyalty to UConn,” he said of the ordeal.

Now the Huskies can focus on fighting for a historic three-peat in 2025 and continue the process. “We look forward to continuing Dan's leadership on and off the court at UConn,” Benedict said. “He will continue to bring great pride to Husky fans everywhere as we work to get the three points.

“As we navigate the evolving field of college athletics, your contributions, more than ever, will be needed to continue our success. Continued financial commitment from loyal and new sponsors to both the department's activities and NIL's activities, such as the Husky Athletic Fund and Bleeding Blue for Good, will be critical to remain competitive on the national stage.”

Coach Geno Auriemma advised Hurley not to take the Los Angeles job, as he believed it was set up for failure.

Coach Geno Auriemma, who coaches the women's team at the University of Connecticut, was asked recently about the opportunity given to Hurley, and revealed that last week the two were talking about how they would do if they were given a chance in the NBA.

“I leaned back and said, 'Hey, I think you can win more championships with the Lakers than a guy who's never been coached,'” Geno said. The Dan Patrick Show. “He just looked at me and nodded, and we had a good laugh.

Auriemma knows he will continue to earn a degree if he stays. “The state of college basketball is a mess,” he asserted. “If anyone can handle it, it's Danny. He coaches this program as if it were a high school program, as he once coached at St. Benedict. Their player development program is top notch.”

Before Hurley could decide, he even dared to say that his colleague was not taking the job. “If Danny left and somebody said to me, 'He just took this NBA job,' I wouldn't say any particular city, I'd say, 'He's set up to fail.' But it's the Lakers,” said Geno.