Sports Illustrated recently released their annual “Top 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports” list to the public, with University of Connecticut’s own, Dan Hurley, making the prestigious list.
Hurley, who coached UConn to their second straight National Championship for NCAA Men’s Basketball last April, was one of two college coaches across all sports in the United States to be named on the list.
Dawn Staley, head coach for the University of South Carolina Women’s Basketball, was the other collegiate coach on the list.
Coach Hurley was placed under the “Icons and Leaders” category. Some other figures in the “Icons and Leaders” category include LeBron James, Lionel Messi and Simone Biles to list a few. There are four categories in total, the other three being “Athletes,” “Executives and Dealmakers” and “Influencers.”
It’s no surprise to see Hurley on this list when reviewing his statistics. He has transformed every program he has coached, starting with his first season as a collegiate coach at Wagner College in 2010, when the team finished 13-17. In Hurley’s second season with the program, the team finished with a 25-6 record.
Following Hurley’s career, it’s apparent that his first season as the head coach at The University of Rhode Island in 2012, when the team concluded 8-21. During his last season as the head coach at URI, they finished 26-8, including two NCAA Tournament appearances and a conference championship.
In 2018, he joined the University of Connecticut as their head coach, going 16-17 in his first season.
Fast forward to today, the Huskies have competed in four straight NCAA tournaments, won a regular season and conference championship (both coming from the 2023-24 season), and claimed two NCAA titles under the direction of Dan Hurley.
Dan has always been in a basketball family, including his dad, Bob, and his brother, Bobby.
Bob Hurley, a 28-time state champion men’s high school coach from New Jersey, earned himself a spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for his illustrious career.
Bobby Hurley has been labeled as “one of the greatest point guards in college basketball history” and is a two-time All American, National Champion with Duke University and the NCAA’s all-time assist leader. Bobby is currently the head coach of the Arizona State University’s men’s basketball team.
Dan was always considered overshadowed by his brother and father, but his recent success with the UConn Men’s Basketball program has allowed him to paint his own path in his coaching career.
“In a family of coaches, he had long been known as the ‘third Hurley’ behind father Bob and brother Bobby,” said Sports Illustrated reporter Kevin Sweeney. “But that was before Dan led UConn to back-to-back national championships while winning all 12 NCAA tournament games by double digits.”
Due to his success with the Huskies, Hurley had multiple promotional opportunities over the summer.
“Predictably, suitors came calling this offseason, but Hurley, 51, turned down a pair of tempting job offers – one from [The University of] Kentucky and another from the [NBA’s Los Angeles] Lakers,” said Sweeney. “Hurley opted to stay with the Huskies, who offered him with a new, six-year $50 million dollar contract, setting himself up to build a dynasty in Storrs and become the face of men’s college basketball.”
The Huskies will be chasing their third straight National Championship in the upcoming 2024-2025 season under the coaching of Dan Hurley. UConn would become only the second team to accomplish a three-peat in NCAA history, joining John Wooden’s University of California, Los Angeles’s Bruins, where they won seven straight NCAA titles from 1967-1973.
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