Why Dan Hurley scorned Lakers to stay in college ranks at UConn
Even though the Los Angeles Lakers offered him a six-year, $70 million contract, Dan Hurley is staying at the University of Connecticut and fans are wondering why. Why, even with the success he's enjoyed at UConn, would he turn down an opportunity to coach the Lakers?
One insider has provided a possible explanation about why Hurley is staying at the school. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Hurley "couldn't walk away from a chance to make history and pursue a third straight NCAA title."
As swept away as Hurley became by the Lakers courtship and vision for him, he ultimately couldn't walk away from a chance to make history and pursue a third straight NCAA title. Even before Lakers talks, Hurley already had a UConn offer to become one of highest paid NCAA coaches…
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 10, 2024
This comes as Hurley tries to compete for a third straight title with the Huskies and is in a great position to develop a possible college basketball dynasty. Rumors have circulated that Hurley has wanted to coach at the NBA level at some point with the head coach declaring his "NBA aspirations" in an interview on the Mike Francesa Podcast.
Still, it's clear why Hurley chose to stay at UConn with a report detailing what each party offered to the two-time national title-winning coach.
Dan Hurley staying at UConn over L.A Lakers head coaching gig
According to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68, the Lakers offered $70 million over six years. On the other hand, UConn offered "approximately $50 million on the table" over six years.
While the college offered $20 million less in total value than the Lakers did, the actual money coming into Hurley's pocket is very similar since L.A. has a high tax income rate of 7.25%. On the other hand, Connecticut has a slightly lower income tax rate of around 7%.
The Lakers offer was for 6 years and around $70 million, per sources.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 10, 2024
Hurley has elected to remain at UConn and has a 6-year deal worth approximately $50 million on the table, source told @TheFieldOf68. https://t.co/D93l8YCRmT
It should also be noted that the price of living is a lot higher in the L.A. area and an annual average difference of around $3 million per season isn't a crazy difference in the standards of living in each place. The Lakers job is also not the best place for Hurley to start his NBA coaching career since the franchise will likely be under a lot of pressure being in win-now mode.
Yes, at worst, Hurley could just pocket the money (if it was guaranteed) in the case of firing had he taken the Lakers job. However, the coach is likely in a better position if he stays at UConn competing for the next couple of years before possibly making the transition to the NBA.
manual