During a recent radio interview, Dan Hurley revealed that his decision to turn down an offer to coach the Los Angeles Lakers was not an attempt to gain leverage in negotiations with UConn. Instead, the head coach had already agreed to a new contract with the university and had settled the financial terms long before.
Hurley spoke about the difficult choice he faced between coaching LeBron James and the Lakers and returning to UConn in pursuit of a third consecutive NCAA championship. He emphasized that his success at UConn, including back-to-back national championships, showed that his decision was not driven by a desire for leverage in negotiations.
Despite interest from Kentucky following John Calipari’s departure, 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.
