Dan Hurley could become Lakers next coach, but history is stacked against college coaches who make leap to NBA

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly pursuing current UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley for their vacant head coaching job. It’s shocking news considering former NBA player JJ Redick appeared like the favorite to land the gig after weeks of reports suggesting just that. But in a sudden turn of events, L.A. has set its sights on one of the best college coaches in the game, who is coming off back-to-back NCAA national championships with the Huskies.

It’s unclear if Hurley has any interest in leaving the Huskies, especially with a team that could very well be playing in another title game this upcoming April, and is currently ranked fifth in our college basketball rankings. But the Lakers are putting a lot of their energy into trying to pry Hurley away from UConn. If Hurley does make the leap to the NBA, he would be the 12th college coach in the past 30 years to do so, with the most recent being John Beilein in 2020, who jumped from Michigan to the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

And while there has been a lengthy history of collegiate coaches making that leap to the professional ranks, that doesn’t always mean it pans out. Only two coaches over the past 30 years who went from college to the pros have a winning record — Billy Donovan and Brad Stevens — and neither have won an NBA championship. The combined winning record of the 11 coaches who made the leap is 1,483-1,797 (.452 winning percentage), showing that success at the collegiate level doesn’t always translate to the NBA. Hurley is certainly one of the most accomplished coaches on this list, but if he takes the Lakers job, he’ll have history stacked against him.

Here’s how things worked out for the previous 11 coaches who jumped from collegiate basketball to the NBA.

John Beilein, Michigan to Cleveland Cavaliers

Year of jump: 2020

NBA record: 14-40

Beilein didn’t last a full season with the Cavaliers, as reports of disconnect between him and the players began to swirl halfway into the season. Beilein’s knack for yelling as motivation didn’t resonate at the professional level, and…

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Author : Jasmyn Wimbish

Publish date : 2024-06-06 20:14:55

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