UConn’s head coach, Dan Hurley, has been branded a sore loser following the expletive-filled comments he made after UConn’s loss to No. 1 seed Florida in round 32 of the NCAA tournament. UConn are back-to-back champions but are now unable to defend their title after crashing out.
Hurley, who rejected offers from Kentucky and NBA giants Los Angeles Lakers in an attempt to three-peat the NCAA championship, has now come under criticism for comments made after the 77-75 loss to Florida.
Is Dan Hurley a sore loser or a passionate coach?
Hurley’s comments after the game have sparked debates across the media space about whether he is a sore loser or he’s just passionate about his job. He was caught on camera making comments about the refs.
“I hope they don’t f— you like they f—ed us. I hope they don’t do that to you, Baylor,”
ESPN analysts discussed the comments on “First Take” and gave their opinions. Seth Greenberg gave his honest assessment and called him a passionate coach. He did mention that Hurley’s comments were out of place, but he stopped short of calling him a sore loser.
“He has to do better…you see how much he cares about the program… Dan Hurley is unapologetically himself”
It remains to be seen if Greenberg actually meant that or it’s the coach side of him that sympathizes with Hurley. Greenberg did admit to having a lot of respect for Hurley but said, “This is an area that he’s got to clean up.”
Stephen A. Smith, Carlos Boozer, and Shannon Sharpe also shared their opinions on “First Take”.
Sharpe said “The more you are invested in something, the more you’re hurt it doesn’t work out.” Sharpe leans towards Hurley being a passionate coach more than being a sore loser. “If that’s the worst he can ever put out there, we can live with it.”
“I feel like he has to get better; he’s a two-time champion,” Boozer said. “At the end of the day, his players love him, and he loves his players.”
Hurley later cried in front of the press while talking about his team. This lends credence to the fact that he’s very passionate about his job, and the rant was just a moment of hurt.
Smith did say he doesn’t have a problem with being a sore loser considering the list of achievements Hurley has at UConn. “Is it okay to be a sore loser?” Smith asked before stating, “I don’t have a problem with it.”
Hurley’s UConn Career
Hurley was appointed as UConn’s head coach on March 22, 2018. He took the UConn Huskies to the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years in 2021, although they lost in the first round.
He won the NCAA championship in 2023 and then signed a six-year contract extension worth $32.1 million. He then signed a new extension worth $50 million in 2024.
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In 2024, Hurley led the UConn Huskies to a Big East regular season title, a Big East tournament championship, and a No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. They also retained the NCAA national championship and became back-to-back champions.
Hurley rejected an offer from Kentucky and interviewed for the Lakers’ job but also rejected them. He decided to return to UConn in an attempt to three-peat the national championship.
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