According to reports, the Los Angeles Lakers are "in a full-court press" in their pursuit of UConn men's basketball head coach Dan Hurley to be their next coach.
Hurley, 51, is coming off of a season in which he led the Huskies to a second consecutive national championship – becoming just the eighth men's program to do so – in his sixth season as their head coach.
The Lakers fired previous head coach Darvin Ham after two seasons in the role. The team just completed a season in which they won the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament and the postseason play-in tournament but lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games in the first round of the playoffs.
Why the Lakers like Dan Hurley
Hurley has long been the target of Los Angeles' head coaching search, according to ESPN. He's an attractive choice for his demonstrated ability in building a system that can have sustained success, his creativity in offensive play design and his player development profile.
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The Huskies had two players – guards Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson Jr. – selected in the 2023 NBA Draft. A third – forward Adama Sanogo – signed with the Bulls as an undrafted free agent. In this year's class, center Donovan Clingan and guard Stephon Castle are projected lottery picks.
ESPN's reporting included a tidbit about how Hurley's success in developing players projects well into the future of the Lakers, especially if they were to draft Bronny James, LeBron James' son.
Adrian Wojnarowski wrote, "Assuming James returns to L.A. in free agency, the possibility of using the 55th pick in this month's NBA draft on USC freshman guard Bronny James makes Hurley an even more intriguing candidate. If that happens, James gets a chance to play with his son and the benefit of Hurley and his staff becoming responsible for Bronny's pro development."
Indeed, the four-time NBA MVP has taken to social media in the past as an outspoken supporter and fan of the UConn coach's abilities.
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Dan Hurley coaching history
Hurley, the son of Hall of Fame high school coach Bob Hurley, began his coaching career at Saint Benedict's Preparatory School in 2001. He coached there until 2010 before making the jump to coaching college basketball at Wagner College.
He coached at Wagner for two years and led the team to its best season in program history in his second year (2011-12). That success propelled Hurley into another head coaching job, this time in the Atlantic-10 conference with Rhode Island.
At the end of Hurley's first season with the Rams, the team finished tied for second-to-last in the conference. Under his leadership, Rhode Island steadily improved. In the 2014-15 season, the Rams went 13-5, tied for second in the A-10 and went to the NIT.
Two years later, Hurley guided the team back to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1999 with a conference tournament win. He led them back to the tournament for a second consecutive year in the 2017-18 season. It would be his last season at Rhode Island and their last tournament appearance to date.
Hurley turned down a big contract from Rhode Island in order to take over at UConn in 2018. He ended the team's four-year NCAA tournament hiatus in 2021 and brought it back in 2022, though the Huskies were upset in the first round both years.
In 2023, Hurley and the Huskies got over the hump to win the program's fifth title and third since 2010. They did it in dominating fashion, not winning a game in the tournament by fewer than 13 points. UConn defeated San Diego State by 17 points in the final. Hurley signed a six-year contract extension after the season.
This year, they won a second consecutive title in similarly dominating fashion. After winning the Big East conference tournament for the first time since 2011, the Huskies swept through the NCAA tournament. Their closest competitions were a 14-point victory in the Final Four and a 15-point victory in the national championship game.
Dan Hurley stats, record as a head coach
| Season | Team | Overall record | Conference record | Postseason performance |
| 2010-11 | Wagner | 13-17 | 9-9 | Lost in conference first round |
| 2011-12 | Wagner | 25-6 | 15-3 | Lost in conference semifinal |
| 2012-13 | Rhode Island | 8-21 | 3-13 | Did not qualify |
| 2013-14 | Rhode Island | 14-18 | 5-11 | Lost in conference second round |
| 2014-15 | Rhode Island | 23-10 | 13-5 | Lost in conference semifinal; NIT second round |
| 2015-16 | Rhode Island | 17-15 | 9-9 | Lost in conference second round |
| 2016-17 | Rhode Island | 25-10 | 13-5 | Won conference tournament; NCAA second round |
| 2017-18 | Rhode Island | 26-8 | 15-3 | Lost in conference final; NCAA second round |
| 2018-19 | UConn | 16-17 | 6-12 | Lost in conference quarterfinal |
| 2019-20 | UConn | 19-12 | 10-8 | N/A* |
| 2020-21 | UConn | 15-8 | 11-6 | Lost in conference semifinal; NCAA first round |
| 2021-22 | UConn | 23-10 | 13-6 | Lost in conference semifinal; NCAA first round |
| 2022-23 | UConn | 31-8 | 13-7 | Lost in conference semifinal; NCAA champions |
| 2023-24 | UConn | 37-3 | 18-2 | Won conference tournament; NCAA champions |
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Dan Hurley UConn contract
Hurley signed a six-year, $32.1 million contract to stay at UConn after the 2023 championship season. Should he sign with the Lakers, his contract with the Huskies would require a roughly $1.88 million buyout.
Dan Hurley Lakers salary
Hurley's potential Lakers salary could elevate his yearly income by a significant margin, if the reports of a "massive, long-term offer" are accurate. His current contract pays him $5.25 million per year, making him one of college basketball's highest-paid coaches.
However, current top-paying NBA head coaching contracts range from $9.5 million a year (Steve Kerr, Warriors) to $16 million a year (Gregg Popovich, Spurs). Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams makes $13 million per year.
The Lakers' previous head coach, Ham, was rumored to make between $3 to $5 million per year, and Hurley will need some financial incentive to leave UConn. With that context and the Lakers' status as a big-market team, Hurley is set to make a pretty penny in an NBA job if he wants it.
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