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Dan Hurley's worst tendencies on display for UConn just weeks ahead of March Madness

Most college basketball coaches need to teach their players to keep their cool. Dan Hurley needs to learn that lesson himself.
Alicia de Artola
Alicia de Artola

Fansided

UConn head coach Dan Hurley / Patrick McDermott/GettyImages

Dan Hurley is who he is. So we shouldn't be surprised when he crosses a line and gets ejected for it. In the waning seconds of UConn's shocking upset at the hands of Marquette, the head coach got himself tossed for making contact with an official. He was arguing a no-call by getting up in John Gaffney's face, pushing his chest into the ref's shoulder.

It was an embarrassing way to finish a rough outing. Hurley embarrassed himself while his team may have spoiled their chances of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

What does losing to Marquette mean for UConn and March Madness?

The loss was costly as the Huskies finished the season in second place in the Big East. A win would have given them a share of the conference title along with St. John's.

More frustrating, it was the third defeat for UConn in eight games. That's not exactly the kind of momentum you want with March Madness around the corner.

UConn finished the season at 27-4 with a 17-3 record in the Big East. They were widely expected to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Florida might take that spot now.

BEST OF UCONN: Kemba Walker, Ray Allen, and the 10 best players in UConn history

Could Dan Hurley face a suspension from the Big East?

Making contact with an official resulted in an ejection, but Hurley may have more to worry about. The Big East could take further action. In fact, fans and media seem to expect it.

If nothing else, the conference may want to warn off future outbursts from Hurley. Letting him go without any further punishment, considering his track record of demonstrative behavior, could set a bad precedent.

The Big East Tournament begins on Wednesday, Mar. 11 but UConn wouldn't tip off until Thursday. Hurley could miss that game and more if the conference comes down hard on him.

Was Dan Hurley justified?

Obviously, Hurley wasn't justified in bumping an official. That's a no-no in all contexts. However, his anger didn't come from nowhere. The Huskies trailed by two with the clock ticking down. Silas Demary Jr. drove to the basket and made contact with a defender as he shot. The refs didn't call a foul

Stephen A. Smith thought it was a no-call.

But there certainly wasn't a consensus on that front. Just as many people felt Hurley was throwing a fit over nothing.

Regardless of whether it was a foul or not, Hurley did himself no favors.

Bobby and Dan Hurley ran afoul of the refs at the same time

Funnily enough, Dan wasn't the only Hurley getting into trouble with the refs at almost the exact same moment. On FS1, a double box had Dan's brother Bobby also getting a technical.

Bobby, the current head coach of Arizona State, lost his cool during the Sun Devils' 86-65 loss to Iowa State.

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Alicia de Artola

Alicia de Artola

Alicia de Artola is an editor at FanSided.com, covering college football and basketball, NFL, MLB, NBA, English Premier League, Formula 1 and much more. She has more than a decade of experience in sports, and co-hosts Reign of Troy Radio, the popular USC football podcast. She’s covered games and practices, taken photos on the sidelines and interviewed Trojans legends as a USC beat writer from 2016 to 2019. Since 2020, she has taken a broader national focus, writing about every sport under the sun, including major events from the College Football Playoff and Super Bowl to the World Series and NBA Finals. A member of the Football Writers Association of America and Association for Women in Sports Media, de Artola joined FanSided in 2012 and has since been inducted into the FanSided Hall of Fame. She lives with her husband and border collie in Los Angeles.