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Connecticut basketball coach Dan Hurley
In the iconic book “The Miracle of St. Anthony,” which chronicles a year in the life of Hall of Fame basketball coach Bob Hurley and his players, Hurley is depicted doing everything in his power to keep St. Anthony High School financially afloat.
That includes donating his speaking fees at clinics and camps to the Jersey City school. And most of all, it means never leaving.
Many times over the years, Hurley could have taken a college coaching job and made considerably more money for himself.
He never did, because St. Anthony was his calling. And when that school finally closed in 2017, he coached at the youth level. For Bob Hurley, it very clearly was never about the money.
Mar 23, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley (center) with his father Bob Hurley (right) after their win against the Arkansas Razorbacks at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
His younger son seems to have noticed.
Dan Hurley has rebuffed a reported $70 million contract to coach the L.A. Lakers, opting to remain at UConn in pursuit of the first NCAA Tournament three-peat in college men’s basketball since John Wooden and UCLA. He’ll be paid handsomely to do so – nobody is taking a vow of poverty here – but he reportedly left $20 million on the table. If this was about the money, Dan would be on a plane west right now.
His decision to stick around gives him the gravitas to impart a vital piece of wisdom to his players and, given his platform, to the sport of college basketball: It doesn’t always have to be about the money.
Jerry Walker (left) and Danny Hurley playing for Seton Hall in 1993
Fit matters (Dan Hurley is a lifelong northeasterner, from Jersey City to Seton Hall to Rutgers to St. Benedict’s to Wagner to Rhode Island to Connecticut). Loyalty matters (twice during his tenure at Rhody, Dan rebuffed a payday from Rutgers, the second time expressly because he had unfinished business with a strong team…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/choosing-uconn-over-lakers-dan-173942603.html
Author : App.com | Asbury Park Press
Publish date : 2024-06-10 17:39:42
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