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UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley had no intention of leaving the program after winning a second straight national championship this week despite rumors that began to swirl about Kentucky’s coaching vacancy.
Hurley deferred to his wife during his postgame press conference Monday, and if his “no” didn’t come across clearly, there was a reason.
UConn head coach Dan Hurley celebrates with center Donovan Clingan, left, after defeating Illinois following an Elite Eight game in the NCAA Tournament March 30, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
In a recent appearance on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich,” Hurley said replacing John Calipari was never an option for him.
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“It never became a thing, ever, like whatsoever,” he said Friday.
“Here at UConn, obviously you want your staff to be rewarded. You want the university to double down on the investments, so we can stay at the top of the mountain. So, your agent tells you with the media — basically, try not to say no without saying no. Be evasive as possible so you don’t hurt his ability to get the things that he needs at UConn, to just be totally honest.”
Hurley added that he made his intentions clear from the beginning.
Head coach Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies celebrates after defeating the Purdue Boilermakers in the national championship game at State Farm Stadium April 8, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
“I told them very early on that I have no interest — my wife, my family — we have no interest. Why would you leave the current best program in the country? Why would you leave the best program to go somewhere else?”
UConn successfully defended its 2023 national title with a dominant 75-60 win over Purdue Monday night. During his postgame remarks, Hurley spoke openly about his future with the Huskies and his plans for not settling for back-to-back titles.
“On the flight home tomorrow, we’ll start talking about what the roster is going to look like. Obviously, we graduate some players. We’re going to lose a couple, potentially to the NBA early entry,” he said.
UConn head coach Dan Hurley cuts the net after a win against Purdue in the NCAA championship game April 8, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
“We’re going to dive in and put together a roster that can play a comparable level of basketball to the one that you guys have witnessed the last two years. That’s what I know our mindset will be. We’re gonna be focusing on trying to put together a three-year run, not just a two-year run.”
With Hurley still with the Huskies, Kentucky announced Friday BYU’s Mark Pope had officially accepted the role. He will be introduced at a news conference Sunday at Rupp Arena.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Paulina Dedaj is a Sports Reporter for Fox News Digital.
