By now, you’ve probably seen the clip. The viral video, captured by Joey Ellis of Queen City News in the bowels of The Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, shows UConn head coach Dan Hurley appearing to have an axe to grind after his team’s loss to Florida in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Prior to an emotional interview with CBS’s Tracy Wolfson, Hurley turned to the Baylor Bears, who were preparing for their game against Duke, hoping that the refs — long a foe of UConn’s head coach — didn’t f*ck the Bears like they f*cked the Huskies. “I hope they don’t do that to you, Baylor,” Hurley said.
Dan Hurley exiting the arena after UConn’s NCAA Tournament loss to Florida, presumably about the officiating:
“I hope they don’t f*ck you like they f*cked us. I hope they don’t do that to you, Baylor.” #MarchMadness
(via @Jellis1016) pic.twitter.com/LTtRkSCkpf
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 23, 2025
However, it seems the clip captured by Ellis didn’t sit well with the Huskies. Although Ellis was merely doing his job, UConn’s program director of communications, Bobby Mullens, requested the video be taken down and allegedly threatened Ellis, claiming he would “ruin his life” if it wasn’t removed, according to Gabe McDonald from Charlotte Sports Live.
After posting the clip of Dan Hurley leaving the floor post game in Raleigh, here’s an update with our latest reporting late Sunday night. @CSLonQCN pic.twitter.com/pOOvoIINhR
— Joey Ellis (@Jellis1016) March 24, 2025
“This was heard by multiple other reporters and staff on hand,” McDonald revealed. When Charlotte Sports Live reached out for a statement, UConn sought to shift the narrative, stating: “The lasting image of Coach Hurley leaving the court should’ve been his walking off the court arm-in-arm with his seniors, overwhelmed with emotion. Instead, a reporter, who was in an area he should not have been, recorded on his cell phone a private comment made to members of another coaching staff.” Despite the university’s objections, the network stands by Ellis’s report. For someone who’s quickly becoming the next big villain in sports, Hurley certainly knows how to leave an impression — and it appears UConn’s head of communications does as well.
