UConn is considered a powerhouse for both men’s and women’s basketball. However, the basketball world has since shifted, and this required MBB head coach Dan Hurley to be flexible in his approach.
In his appearance on the Big East Energy Network’s “The Hoops Cap” podcast, Fox Sports’ Michael Cohen discussed how this flexibility in his style allowed Dan Hurley to become one of the most successful college basketball coaches in the country, even leading the Huskies to a national title two years ago.
“There are so many coaches in any sport who get to such a level and are so stubborn that they can’t change. While Dan Hurley is extremely stubborn in other ways, understanding that he needed offense is not one of them,” the analyst said (18:47)
“But in reality, the way that they have adapted offensively, like there’s not a lot of coaches in the country that would have the willingness to swallow what got them this far and say, ‘I need to be different from this or augment what I’ve done because what I’ve done is good, but it’s not good enough’,” he added.
Dan Hurley has built a dynasty on defense, with him being known for developing very good big men. This is evident in his freshmen recruits like German center Eric Reibe. He also has Australian guard Jacob Furphy, who promises to be an offensive powerhouse to the Huskies this year. Furphy’s presence shows that Hurley is not above becoming flexible and adding in offensive players in his team.
Hurley has slowly been changing some of his strategies in recruiting and coaching style after the Huskies were eliminated by New Mexico State in a stunning March Madness upset during the first round.
Dan Hurley Still In Contention For Top-Ranked 2026 Center
Dan Hurley’s reputation for developing excellent big men is one of the reasons why Eric Reibe chose UConn, and for the Class of 2026, he may get another good center to develop, as Arafan Diane has cut down on his choices for which school to commit to to 12, and UConn is included.
Diane is ranked No. 21 overall in the Class of 2026 and is also the No. 1-ranked center in his class, according to On3/ Rivals. He is also considering Arkansas, Houston, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Oregon, Purdue, Virginia, and Washington.
Hurley has produced several NBA centers, such as the Portland Trailblazers’ Donovan Clingan.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
