The Los Angeles Lakers are targeting UConn’s Dan Hurley as the franchise’s next head coach. Hurley, a former Rutgers basketball assistant who is from New Jersey, is coming off back-to-back national championships at UConn.
Hurley served as a Rutgers assistant from 1997-2001.He was the Naismith Coach of the Year in 2024 while with UConn.
According to ESPN, Hurley and the Lakers have already had preliminary contract talks and expect conversations to heat up in the coming days. Following a legendary run at UConn, Hurley could join one of the most iconic franchises in the NBA.
Over the last few years, UConn has become one of the premier programs in college basketball with Hurley at the helm. The Huskies made history just a few months ago when they became the NCAA’s first repeat champion in 17 years. Their 140-point differential was the biggest in tournament history.
Since Hurley took over six years ago, UConn has posted a 141-58 record. In the NCAA Tournament, they have won 12 straight games by double digits. Hurley has seemingly gotten the best out of his players every year, which is one reason the Lakers are interested in his services.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Lakers are targeting Connecticut’s Dan Hurley to become the franchise’s next coach and are preparing a massive, long-term contract offer to bring the back-to-back national champion to the NBA, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/6WPrigPvAW
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 6, 2024
While the Lakers did make the playoffs this year, they were eliminated in the first round. That led to the dismissal of David Ham, who was 94-70 in two seasons, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2023.
[lawrence-related id=38643,38640]
Although a deal is far from done, Hurley would be the most highly coveted coach to leave the college ranks in years. And the chance to coach LeBron James (and [autotag]Bronny James[/autotag]?) might be able to lure Hurley to the NBA.
Additionally, the Lakers have a young core that could benefit from Hurley’s leadership. Over the next few days, Hurley’s future will be one of the most watched storylines in the NBA.