The Los Angeles Lakers’ head coaching search appeared to be coming to an end as they had reportedly been zeroing in on ESPN analyst JJ Redick, but they turned the basketball world upside down when it was revealed they were courting UConn’s Dan Hurley for the position.
Hurley won back-to-back NCAA titles with the Huskies and was in line for a massive pay raise but was tempted enough to make the jump to the NBA with the Lakers calling. The two sides met on Friday and by all accounts it seemed that Hurley would become the next head coach of the storied franchise.
Throughout the weekend, the anticipation and anxiety was palpable as Hurley could come in and transform the Lakers into a well-run program like the one at UConn. However, he ultimately decided to stay home at UConn and chase after three-peat with a roster that is more than capable of accomplishing that.
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Former Lakers shooting guard JR Smith, who was coached by Hurley in high school, offered up his reaction when the news broke about his decision to stay at UConn, via his personal X account:
“Honestly, I felt like Coach (Hurley) was in a great situation, back-to-back championships in college, and looking at what the Lakers got going on right now and seeing their previous situations, I just thought it would be a better fit for him to stay where he was at… It was the great decision he could’ve made, 100%.”
Smith also offered some parting thoughts, noting that Hurley has the potential to be one of the best college basketball coaches ever:
It seemed that Smith was against the move to the pros when the reports initially surfaced as his original tweet went viral:
Smith knows Hurley well as he played under him for a few years at St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in New Jersey. Although it must sting for Los Angeles to miss out on Hurley, Smith brought up good points in that his set up in Connecticut is far better than what he would be walking into in the NBA.
With Hurley officially off the board, the Lakers will likely pivot back to previously reported candidates for their vacancy though they won’t draw the same level of excitement that Hurley did.
