Dan Hurley to meet with Lakers Friday, reportedly “50-50” on becoming their next head coach

NCAA Basketball: Final Four National Semifinal-Alabama vs Connecticut

Here is what we know: Friday in Los Angeles, UConn coach Dan Hurley will sit down with the Lakers front office — and, presumably, team governor Jeanie Buss at one point — to formally interview for the team’s open head coaching position, according to multiple reports. If that goes well, it is expected that, at the end of it, the Lakers will offer Hurley their head coaching job at a salary that will likely be close to double his current salary with the Huskies.

Here is what we don’t know: What Dan Hurley and his family truly want.

Hurley is 50/50 right now on taking the Lakers job, according to Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68.

HUGE DAY as Dan Hurley will meet with the Lakers brass in Los Angeles.

One source close to Hurley told @TheFieldOf68 it’s “50-50” whether he heads to the NBA or returns to UConn.

Source told @TheFieldOf68 UConn has strong offer on table, but obviously can’t match or even get…

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 7, 2024

There are a lot of questions Hurley needs to ask himself to figure out what he wants. Among them:

• Can he dial back his trademark intensity to coach in the NBA? Hurley’s reputation is that of an intense competitor who gets in the face of his players at practice and then in the face of referees during games. While that reputation can be a little overblown, and Hurley can be a bit performative at times, the reality is the NBA season is a marathon, a grind, and Hurley will have to dial it back a notch. There aren’t many practices during the NBA season — because of the every-other-day schedule, the travel, and the fact that the NBA is a recovery league — and the players expect to be treated like professionals. Coaches can pick their spots to get in a team’s face, or a player’s face, but Hurley can’t keep the volume turned up to 11. It’s the same with the referees. Every NBA coach complains about calls, some more than others, but there’s a line to walk about not pissing them off.

Is Hurley the same coach if he has to reign in that intensity?

• Hurley is the star at UConn, he decidedly would not…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/dan-hurley-meet-lakers-friday-145716696.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2024-06-07 14:57:16

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