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Dan Hurley’s return to Storrs, Connecticut, for the upcoming season was far less certain than many may have believed.
In the new book, “Never Stop: Life, Leadership, and What It Takes To Be Great,” which Hurley co-authored, the two-time national-championship winning coach revealed that the stress he experienced during the Huskies’ pursuit of a third consecutive title nearly prompted him to step away.
While Hurley is expected to be back on the sidelines when UConn’s 2025-26 season tips off, he admitted in the book that he “was completely cooked” once last season ended.
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UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley watches from the sideline as they take on the Butler Bulldogs at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on Jan. 21, 2025 in Storrs, Connecticut. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)
After leading the Huskies to back-to-back NCAA Division I men’s tournament championships, Hurley faced questions about what went wrong when Florida defeated UConn in the second round this past March.
According to The Athletic, Hurley contemplated leaving coaching due to exhaustion and taking roughly one year to physically and mentally recharge. The 52-year-old cited the feeling of being burnt out.
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“I knew my mind, and I knew my body, and I could feel that I was completely cooked,” Hurley wrote. “Just burnt. I didn’t even know how I was standing. I stared at the office walls, muttering, conducting a brutal review of our season. I didn’t build a strong enough roster. I wasn’t a good leader. I let everyone down in Maui. I lost control, emotionally, at various points. I came in here some days sad and defeated, when I needed to be positive and inspiring. Then I went through the self-lacerating what-ifs: What if we’d played a little bit better in Maui? What if we hadn’t blown that game against Seton Hall? What if we’d been a better seed than an eight seed and hadn’t needed to face a number one in the second round? Who knows?”
Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies signals to his players during the National College Basketball Championship game against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Stadium on April 08, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
UConn finished the 2024-25 season with a 24-11 record.
Hurley agreed to a six-year contract extension with UConn last year. The deal was finalized after Hurley reportedly turned down a six-year offer from the Los Angeles Lakers to become the franchise’s next head coach.
Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley shouts to his team during the Men’s NCAA national championship game against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on April 8, 2024. (Joe Rondone/The Republic/USA TODAY NETWORK)
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More recently, Hurley’s name was linked to the New York Knicks as the team searched for Tom Thibodeau’s replacement. Hurley ultimately shut down those rumors. “Not another summer of that,” Hurley told the Hartford Courant in June.
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