Chris “Mad Dog” Russo has gained notoriety for his recent critiques of LeBron James, particularly focusing on the media hype and narratives about Bronny’s NBA prospects. Recently, he has redirected that energy toward his family’s drama, notably blasting the New York Mets, after his son Colin, an ESPN West Palm host, was denied access to team personnel while broadcasting from Port St. Lucie during spring training, with his interview requests being rejected despite being on-site.
Furthermore, Russo is now defending Dan Hurley, who previously employed his other son, Tim, a graduate assistant on Hurley’s staff at UConn in 2023, before he moved to Northern Arizona University. However, Russo did not mention this connection while spending nearly two minutes repeating Seth Greenberg’s talking points on First Take, arguing that a reporter shouldn’t have been near the tunnel when they caught Hurley venting about the referees and warning Baylor’s Scott Drew. The reporter, whom UConn officials threatened, has since received an apology after the incident.
While Russo doesn’t condone the threats, he defends Hurley without disclosing his personal connection to the coach. “This one drove me crazy. We’re at the point now with clickbait, Danny Hurley walks off the court after a tough loss — his first loss in the NCAA Tournament in three years,” Russo remarked. “He’s got [Alex] Karaban, who’s been with him forever; Samson Johnson’s been with him forever. And all of a sudden, he loses a tough game, walks off the court, and tells Scott Drew not to let the referees ‘screw you.’ Some kid with 2,100 followers posted it on Twitter, and it goes viral. And Hurley gets killed again.
“Listen, do I like the way Connecticut handled it? Threatening the guy — ‘I’m going to ruin your life.’ … No, I don’t like that at all. I’ll be the first to admit. Officials had nothing to do with the game; Connecticut lost fair and square. But a coach can’t walk off the court three minutes after losing his first NCAA game in three years and say something in aggravation? In some kid’s clickbait pursuit, that gets thrown all over the internet?” He continued, “That’s not clickbait, but carry on. That’s the wrong thing to do. Have a little understanding; he just lost a tough game. He’s won two championships in a row. When you share that, it’s going to go viral; he’s going to get killed. I’m amazed people are coming down on Hurley. He’s wrong, but give him a break. Jeez, have some empathy. For a kid to act that way? You’re that desperate for media attention? Be better!”
Russo acknowledged he wasn’t portraying Hurley as an angel and disapproved of how UConn managed the situation. Yet, he suggests the entire incident stemmed from a kid seeking clicks, which seems to overlook that his son worked for Hurley, hinting at loyalty over objectivity. Ultimately, Russo’s defense of Hurley feels insincere, despite his insistence that he isn’t portraying Hurley as perfect.
