ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt has an intriguing theory regarding UConn head coach Dan Hurley’s tendency for outbursts. It’s been nearly two weeks since Hurley’s explosive moment during a game, where he admonished an official, “Don’t turn your back on me. I’m the best coach in the f*cking sport.” The The Field of 68: After Dark podcast reexamined that incident along with Hurley’s frequently controversial behavior during a discussion with SVP.
Van Pelt remarked that while he’s witnessed Hurley’s fiery side, he’s also encountered a more personable version of the coach. “I had a complete 180 on Dan Hurley. A complete 180,” Van Pelt stated. “I got to know him a little bit, had some fantastic conversations on air, some cool conversations off, just about who he is when you talk to him like this … completely different dude.” He mimicked Hurley’s animated expressions when engaging with referees, humorously portraying the coach’s intense demeanor. “It’s not schtick, but that … face, and the hand behind the back and the berating of people, enough man. Enough,” Van Pelt commented.
Despite his favorable interactions, the SportsCenter host struggles to reconcile the amiable person he’s conversed with and the fiery coach often on display on the court. “This is a bright, thoughtful man. If he was an a**hole, I’d just say he’s not redeemable,” Van Pelt noted. “But he’s not. He’s a thoughtful, bright man, who if you show him that, and you go, ‘Is this really what we’re going to do for 40 minutes?’ You can’t.” He then gestured with two fingers, referencing Hurley’s back-to-back NCAA Tournament championship rings with UConn.
“But when he’s screaming at the dude, ‘I’m the best coach in the f-ing sport’ … c’mon, man,” Van Pelt remarked. This led to Van Pelt presenting a theory about the pressure associated with winning two consecutive championships. “I wonder what winning two [championships] in a row does, as opposed to letting you exhale; does it almost tighten the grip, to feel pressure to live up to that,” he pondered. “And I don’t think that’s reasonable, because he doesn’t have the same team.” He speculated that the stress Hurley experiences might actually amplify rather than diminish over time. “I don’t think he’s a dude that’s like a house money guy, that you can just relax and go, ‘I’m good.’ That’s just not how he’s wired.”
This is a fascinating theory, although it fails to account for Hurley’s earlier outbursts before UConn achieved consecutive titles. Regardless, many fans and analysts have observed over the past few years that college basketball needs a villain, and Hurley undoubtedly fulfills that role, irrespective of his motivations.
