(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
During the Los Angeles Lakers’ very public pursuit of UConn’s Dan Hurley, there were many rumors about the head coach.
Some people felt like he never really wanted a job with the Lakers and was simply trying to get more money out of his next contract with UConn.
Speaking on the “Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz,” Hurley took issue with that claim.
“One of the worst takes I’ve heard is that this was a leverage play,” Hurley said.
He added, “I don’t need leverage here. We’ve won back to back national championships.”
“One of the worst takes I’ve heard is that this was a leverage play…I don’t need leverage here. We’ve won back to back national championships.”
– Dan Hurley shuts down the rumors that this was all some sort of leverage play to get a better contract with UConn.
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) June 13, 2024
On the surface, negotiating with the Lakers does seem like a smart move if Hurley wanted to get a heftier contract extension from UConn.
If the school saw that he was looking to leave and lead LA, they’d throw a lot of money at him.
But Hurley makes a fair point: he doesn’t need leverage because he has already done great things during his time as head coach.
He has won back-to-back championships with UConn and there is a chance they could go for a third.
Many people consider him the best coach in college basketball so why would he need any sort of leverage?
Additionally, he has created a strong and reliable relationship with the people running UConn and both sides want to keep working together.
In the end, this relationship was a huge part of why Hurley remained with UConn.
It wasn’t all about money but about the connection he has with the school, the region, and the players.
Because the negotiations between Hurley and the Lakers were done in secret, there was a lot of gossip surrounding them.
Hurley won’t get into in-depth details about why he made the choice he did but he is dispelling this one rumor.
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