UConn Huskies coach Dan Hurley recently made a bold confession about his relationship and connection with rival coach Rick Pitino of the St. John’s Red Storm. On Wednesday, Feb. 25, @draftkings_sportsbook on Instagram uploaded a clip from Hurley’s interview with analyst John Fanta from last October.
In the clip, Fanta asked Hurley about his relationship with Pitino, with whom he has had several legendary battles. Hurley admitted that he does not have much of a meaningful connection with the tenured coach, especially since they have the same goal year in and year out, which is to win a national championship. Hurley added that there will always be tension between them.
“Not much, you know, I, it’s, I don’t have a lot of relationships with very many college coaches. But, and I think it’s very hard, I think, when you’re both competing for the same thing. You’re both at a very high level, and you have a regional rivalry, and we’re both fighting for the same thing. So, it’s tension. There’s tension. We’re both fighting for the same thing,” Hurley said.
“Leave it to Dan Hurley to perfectly describe his relationship with Rick Pitino 😅(🎥: @john_fanta),” @draftkings_sportsbook on Instagram captioned with a couple of emojis.
Hurley is currently in his eighth year of coaching the Connecticut-based program in the 2025-26 campaign. The 53-year-old is hoping that he and his team can return to the college basketball mountaintop after they were denied a national championship three-peat in the 2024-25 season. They were the national champions in 2023 and 2024. For Pitino, he is in his historic 52nd year of coaching.
Rick Pitino Detailed How Good It Felt To Defeat Dan Hurley Earlier In The 2025-26 Season
On Feb. 6, coach Rick Pitino’s St. John’s Red Storm knocked off coach Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies during 2026 Big East conference play on the New York Knicks’ home floor, Madison Square Garden in New York City, by nine points, 81-72.
In an interview with John Fanta after the victory, Pitino admitted that it felt really good to beat Hurley at one of the most storied arenas in the world.
“Good as it gets. Good as it gets. I’ve appreciated Madison Square Garden as an assistant coach, head coach of the Knicks, head coach in the Big East at Louisville, winning back-to-back championships, and now, tonight was as good as any of those moments,” Pitino shared.
Read More: LOOK: Villanova Star Tyler Perkins’ Fiery Celebration Brings Out Furious Reaction from Dan Hurley
Also Read: Furious Rick Pitino Sounds Off over Questions About Ugly Scuffle Between St. John’s And Providence
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