When the Los Angeles Lakers made the trade for Luka Doncic, the NBA world was abuzz with excitement. Suddenly, LA had a young, generational point guard entering his prime, paired with one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA, immediately changing the franchise’s trajectory. But momentarily, the spotlight fell on Dan Hurley, who had been the leading candidate in a head coaching search for the Lakers just the previous summer.

Coach Hurley has deep roots at the University of Connecticut. Having joined the program in 2018, he led the Huskies to back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, and had just inked a new, six-year contract with the university worth over $32M, becoming one of the highest-paid coaches in college basketball. Over the summer of 2024, Hurley faced a choice few coaches encounter: try to win his third consecutive national title with his current program, or take to sunny California and try to build the next great LA contender. By the end of the Lakers’ offer process, Hurley’s decision had become deeply personal.

On the Zach Lowe show, Hurley admitted that Lakers fans had let him hear about his supposed mistake. He told Lowe, “Yeah, I got some of those. Um, I get some of those, but I’d say a lot of a majority of it is Lakers fans… direct messaging you that you’re the biggest mor–, you know, look how stupid you are.” He later reflected on the trade itself, saying, “Now that trade goes down… You could have coached LeBron and Luka on the same team.” Hurley’s energetic personality and outspokenness on the UConn sideline made him an easy target for playful trolling, though he made clear it wasn’t usually just fun and games on social media.

Even back in June of 2024, he admitted that the decision wasn’t easy. In addition to this appearance, Hurley previously said on the Dan Le Batard Show, “One of the worst takes I’ve heard is that this is a leverage play by me to improve my situation at UConn… I don’t need leverage here.” He added that the Lakers could’ve easily offered him an irresistible sum, but that he had already secured financial stability with his UConn contract. “It was a gut-wrenching decision for me… I did not know really what I was going to do until I went to bed,” he said, showing how heavy the choice weighed on him.

Of course, the Lakers job would’ve been fantastic. Coaching one of the NBA’s most historied franchises, coaching superstar talents in LeBron and Anthony Davis, walking sidelines that Pat Riley and Phil Jackson once walked represented one of the rarest opportunities in basketball. But Hurley decided to shape young athletes and set a culture by trying to chase a third consecutive national title with the Huskies, a feat that had not been accomplished since John Wooden’s eight straight.

Unfortunately, Hurley couldn’t capture a three-peat with the Huskies. UConn had a rollercoaster year, finishing 24-11, placing third in their conference. They struggled in the tournament, and were beaten by Florida, 77-75, in the West second round. However, Hurley’s commitment to UConn remains unwavering, and there are hopes for a renewed push in the next season.

Hurley Reflects on Lakers Talks and Rob Pelinka

During the conversation with Zach Lowe, Hurley revealed that his respect for the Lakers organization stretched back to before the head coaching opportunity. Hurley said, “I go back to almost a year prior to having my first conversation with Rob Pelinka about the Lakers job. I talked to him like a year earlier about Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson, two guys on our 23 championship team.” Hurley valued LA for showing a good understanding of his former players and their development.

He elaborated on his conversation with Pelinka, adding onto the detail and attentiveness of the Lakers’ front office personnel. “I talked to Rob on the phone for probably 15 or 20 minutes … and I remember calling… a couple of people around me … after hanging up with Rob and say, ‘Wow, you know, like I was really impressed … Pelinka was pretty detailed with the way he talked, with the way he spoke about my guys.’” Hurley’s observations show that the Lakers didn’t have just a transactional approach; they evaluated all talent properly and made sure of the fit in their roster.

When the Lakers finally offered a head coaching job a year later, Hurley noted that his previous interactions had given him a, “baseline of respect for Rob.” While he decided to remain at UConn and the Lakers went with JJ Redick, it’s clear that the Lakers’ thoughtfulness and courtesy left a lasting impression on Hurley and played an important role in his final decision.