Dan Hurley turns down lucrative Lakers offer to stay with UConn

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Dan Hurley is staying put. 

The UConn men’s basketball coach has turned down a lucrative deal to become the Los Angeles Lakers' new head coach with the hopes of chasing a third-straight national championship with the Huskies, a feat only ever accomplished by the UCLA Bruins in the 1960s and again in the early 1970s. 

Head coach Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies looks on during the trophy ceremony after the game against the Marquette Golden Eagles during the Big East Basketball Tournament Final at Madison Square Garden on March 16, 2024 in New York City. The Huskies won 73-57.  (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

"I am humbled by this entire experience," Hurley said in a statement. "At the end of the day, I am extremely proud of the championship culture we have built at Connecticut. We met as a team before today's workout and our focus right now is on getting better this summer and connecting as a team as we continue to pursue championships."

ESPN first reported the news, noting that the six-year, $70 million deal the Lakers put on the table apparently wasn’t enough to lure Hurley away from UConn. 

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"We are thrilled that Dan Hurley has made the decision to stay at UConn and continue building upon our championship tradition," Director of Atheletics David Benedict said in a statement. "He has helped return our men's basketball program back to the pinnacle of the sport, including back-to-back NCAA Championships, and we're grateful for his loyalty to UConn. We look forward to Dan's continued leadership on and off the court at UConn. He will continue to bring great pride to Husky fans everywhere as we work toward a three-peat."

Los Angeles’ pursuit of Hurley seemed to be going well with the long-time basketball coach making the journey west to California on Friday to meet with Lakers’ brass. 

But according to ESPN’s report, UConn made an offer to Hurley that would make him one of the highest-paid NCAA coaches. 

The Lakers will have to resume their search to find a replacement for Darvin Ham, who was fired after his second season with the team which resulted in Los Angeles’ first round playoff loss this year.

LeBron James #23 and Head Coach Darvin Ham of the Los Angeles Lakers talk during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on November 27, 2023 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images))

LAKERS MADE 'COMPELLING CASE' TO TAKE HEAD COACH JOB, DAN HURLEY SAYS

Hurley, 51, led UConn to back-to-back national championships back in April, becoming the first coach to do so since Billy Donovan did it with Florida in 2007. And the Huskies did so in a dominant way as well, becoming just the sixth team in NCAA history to win all six tournament games by double-digits. 

Almost as soon as Hurley cut the net, speculation about a potential new job opened up. 

But for Hurley, a move didn’t seem likely. 

UConn head coach Dan Hurley celebrates cutting the net after their win against Purdue in the NCAA college Final Four championship basketball game, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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"I can’t afford a divorce right now," Hurley told reporters laughing. "I just started making some money."

He signed a six-year, $32.1 million contract last summer, and CT Insider reported in April another contract was being discussed.

With the NBA out of the picture now, the goal for Hurley seems clear: pull off a three-peat. Easy enough. 

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report. 

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