Winning back-to-back National Championships like Dan Hurley has achieved with the UConn Huskies certainly brings increased coverage and attention to the program. However, following his latest altercation with officials during Tuesday’s game against Butler, Hurley is now addressing how he is portrayed during games. Captured in a now-viral video, Hurley appeared to berate officials, growing even more frustrated when they turned away from him, leading him to assert his status as an elite-level college basketball coach.
“Don’t turn your back on me. I’m the best coach in the f*cking sport,” he stated.
— Videosareforever99 (@videosaregood) January 22, 2025
Hurley’s remarks convey a sense of arrogance, indicating a lack of respect for officials, which is supported by his record of similar incidents. In his postgame press conference, he refrained from damage control, neglecting to apologize or acknowledge that disrespecting officials is inappropriate.
Instead, Hurley suggested that other coaches behave similarly but that he is the only one caught on camera. “Did I say that?” he joked when asked about his comments. “I mean, I’m gonna sound like an a**hole here but the TV likes me, the camera. I just wish they put the camera on the other coach more. Obviously, I had a moment with Coach Thad Motta, because he was so far out of the box that I just figured I would go over and have a pow-wow with him. I just wish they would show these other coaches losing their minds at the officials.”
This is actually an interesting, nuanced response from Dan Hurley. Asked about last night’s tirade – says he wishes they’d put cameras on other coaches. But that the TV cameras know his reactions drive attention. You can dislike him. But he isn’t wrong pic.twitter.com/KLlakg2Jn5
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) January 22, 2025
Rather than addressing his actions directly, Hurley pointed fingers at other college basketball coaches. While he may be right about being on camera more during his sideline outbursts, this aligns with the villain persona he has cultivated. He acknowledges his public image, stating that people like him, who show “intensity” on the court, are “good for sports”. Now, as he faces renewed criticism, he expresses discontent with being in the spotlight.
The unfortunate truth for the UConn coach is that he cannot simultaneously embrace his role as college basketball’s villain while complaining about the attention he receives compared to other coaches. If Hurley managed his emotions better during games, UConn would still attract plenty of attention due to their success in recent seasons. However, Hurley’s passionate personality ensures that he remains one of college basketball’s biggest stories, whether he likes it or not.
