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A hectic college basketball coaching carousel had finally quieted down, but a report from ESPN on Thursday morning shot everything back into motion. Dan Hurley, who is coming off back-to-back national championships with the UConn Huskies, is being pursued by the Los Angeles Lakers for their vacant head coaching position.
Hurley and his family already flew out to LA to discuss the position, and current reports indicate the 51-year-old is 50-50 on whether he will leave to coach LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers or stay in Storrs to try to complete the elusive threepeat.
If Hurley does leave for the greener pastures of the NBA, it leaves UConn in a tough spot. Not many coaches are looking to make changes in June, and with new rules in college basketball the loss of Hurley gives all UConn players a 30-day window to enter the transfer portal – which could blow up a quality roster for the Huskies.
It is imperative UConn find a way to avoid losing players like Alex Karaban and incoming transfers Tarris Reed and Aidan Mahaney, but the focus also becomes long term for the Huskies if they have to replace Hurley.
Below is a look at five options UConn could explore if they do end up needing to make a move, including retaining at least one of their key assistant coaches:
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
The obvious choice – and almost certainly the best option – is for UConn to convince one (or both) of Luke Murray and Kimani Young to stay in Storrs. Alex Karaban has said in the past he feels like he has three head coaches at UConn between Hurley, Murray, and Young, and if the Huskies can promote internally it will help them keep the roster together and allow them to truly compete for a third straight title.
Of course, in a reality where Hurley leaves for the Lakers, he could opt to take members of his staff with him. Whether Murray or Young would jump at the opportunity to leave a potential head coaching job to become an assistant, perhaps the most volatile job in professional sports, remains to be seen. But if UConn loses all three of their top coaches to the Lakers, they’ll likely have to look externally where options might be harder to come by.
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If there is a high major head coach who excites the UConn fanbase – and who is more likely to leave their position in June – it’s Steve Pikiell at Rutgers.
Pikiell played at UConn from 1987-1991, served as an assistant under Jim Calhoun for a season, and is an east coast guy. He’s also helped turn around a struggling Rutgers program – leading them to two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2022, and would have had a third if COVID had not cancelled the tournament in 2020.
Pikiell also has the best recruiting class in Rutgers history coming in for 2024, including 5-star wings Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper: No. 2 and No. 3 in the class rankings respectively.
Losing Hurley – and potentially multiple players to the portal – would be a massive blow for UConn, but getting a quality head coach in Pikiell and potentially a pair of elite recruits along with him would certainly soften the sting for those in Storrs.
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Bruce Pearl is one of the best coaches in the game, helping turn around a long struggling Auburn program and getting the most out of talents like Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams.
Pearl has been in the SEC for most of the past 20 years, first at Tennessee and now with the Tigers, but a move to the north east is a homecoming for the Boston College alumni, and coaching the back-to-back national champions will certainly appeal to Pearl. It’s not a super likely outcome, but Pearl is a coach worth tossing the bag at to see if you can make it work.
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Shaheen Holloway has a track record of getting the most out of limited resources. He took a completely unknown St. Peter’s team to an Elite Eight in 2022 and last year led his alma mater, Seton Hall, to an NIT championship despite limited NIL resources.
Holloway has close connections to the Pirates, and it’s rare to see coaches leave for another in conference program, but landing at UConn with the resources they have could help elevate Holloway into one of the game’s premier coaches. It’s unlikely, especially when considering the timing, but UConn should place a call if they can’t hire internally.
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If there is a marquee college basketball job opening, you can bet Billy Donovan’s name will be floated. The longtime Florida coach – and most recent back-to-back national championship winner pre-Hurley – just finished another season as head coach of the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls are a middling franchise and Donovan could feel the pressure mounting in Chicago, but he left the college ranks nearly a decade ago in part because he didn’t like the challenges of recruiting, challenges that have only increased in the transfer portal and NIL era.
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Courtesy : https://collegesportswire.usatoday.com/lists/dan-hurley-uconn-basketball-coach-candidates/