Are UConn fans in for another summer of angst regarding Dan Hurley’s future?
One year after sweating out whether or not their two-time national champion coach would accept an offer to coach LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers, Huskies fans may be feeling just a little queasy after the New York Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday.
Hurley seemed to assuage those fears on Tuesday night, as he spoke with reporters after his wife Andrea was honored at a charity event in Southington.
“Not another summer of that,” Hurley said, before talking up his UConn roster and the players he has returning.
Dom Amore: Dan Hurley to the Knicks? Stop spreading the news; he’s invested in this UConn roster
Whether or not there’s any interest from Hurley or the Knicks in the two joining forces, there’s one thing you can bet on: you can bet on it.
Hurley was +2000 to become the Knicks’ next coach on DraftKings as of Wednesday afternoon.
Former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone is the betting favorite, with +125 odds. Cavs assistant Johnnie Bryant is +400. Former Villanova coach Jay Wright, who would be coaching former players Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, is +1500, as is assistant Rick Brunson, Jalen’s father.
Arkansas head coach John Calipari has the same odds as Hurley at +2000.
Hurley, 52, is from Jersey City and grew up a Knicks fan. He has previously expressed interest in coaching in the NBA one day, and one reason given for not making the jump to L.A. last season was that he and Andrea didn’t want to leave their family for the West Coast.
Still, Hurley and the Knicks don’t seem to be a great fit at this time. New York will likely be looking for a more experienced NBA coach after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years and presumably on a Finals-or-bust timeline. Hurley has another competitive roster returning at UConn, and a hunger to get back to the sport’s pinnacle after winning back-to-back titles in ’23 and ’24, and taking the eventual champs down to the wire this past March.
