The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing a “massive, long-term contract offer” to Dan Hurley to become their next head coach, and the UConn coach is set to meet with the NBA team’s brass on Friday, June 7, in Los Angeles, ESPN reported on Thursday.
Per ESPN, Hurley was on his way west to meet with Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and team owner Jeanie Buss.
The news comes on the heels of the position being linked to either former NBA player and ESPN analyst JJ Redick or New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego.
Hurley, who guided the Huskies to back-to-back NCAA championships the past two seasons, has said his goal is to coach in the NBA one day.
Hurley, 51, has posted a 141-58 record while leading UConn to four NCAA Tournament appearances during his six seasons at the helm. He had a 38-23 record during two seasons as the head coach at Wagner (2010-12) and a 113-82 mark in six campaigns with Rhode Island.
Hurley also has a fan in LeBron James, as the Lakers superstar praised the coach over social media on April 19.
“He’s so DAMN GOOD!!! Along with his staff. Super creative with their (offense). Love it,” James wrote.
UConn women’s coach Geno Auriemma said Thursday on “The Dan Patrick Show” that he had a brief exchange with Hurley at an event on Wednesday night.
“I happened to be at a thing with (Hurley) last night,” Auriemma said, referring to the UConn Coaches Road Show in Stamford, Connecticut.
“I have no idea what’s going on, you know, I have no idea where this is going or what’s happening, but I just leaned over and said, ‘Hey, I think you could win a lot of championships with the Lakers, more so than a guy who’s never coached.’
“[Hurley] just looked at me and nodded, and we had a good laugh. And I woke up this morning, and somebody sent [the Hurley report] to me, and I said, ‘You gotta be kidding me.'”
FOX Sports reported Hurley informed Huskies players that he has been in talks with the Lakers, however it is “business as usual for now.”
Los Angeles fired Darvin Ham on May 3 after two seasons, including an appearance in the Western Conference finals in 2023.
The Lakers finished the regular season with a 47-35 mark, good enough for only an eighth-place finish in the Western Conference. They defeated the Pelicans in the play-in round to earn the No. 7 seed in the playoffs but were bounced by the Denver Nuggets in the opening round, 4-1.
Ham posted a 90-74 record but was 9-12 in the playoffs since replacing Frank Vogel in 2022. – Rappler.com