Subscribe
Follow Us
After turning down the offers and efforts of the Kentucky Wildcats and Los Angeles Lakers to lure him away from Storrs, Connecticut, UConn head coach Dan Hurley finally signed his contract extension with the Huskies, inking a deal worth $50 million that will keep him in the Basketball Capital of the World through the conclusion of the 2029-30 season. Joe Arruda of the Hartford Courant reports that UConn assistant coaches Kimani Young, Luke Murray and Tom Moore have all agreed to extensions as well.
The deal, which makes Dan Hurley the 3rd-highest paid head coach in the country, was officially announced on Monday afternoon via a press release from the school.
“The University of Connecticut has agreed to a new contract with head men's basketball coach Dan Hurley that runs through the 2029-30 season. The six-year agreement is valued at $50 million and includes the opportunity to earn additional compensation in the form of performance-based incentives.”
“Coming off back-to-back national titles, Hurley will receive a base salary of $400,000 per year and an additional compensation for speaking, consulting and media obligations of $6.375 million for the 2024-25 season, which escalates each year through the term of the contract. He will also receive a retention bonus of $1 million per year. Salary increases in Coach Hurley's new contract as well as other program investments will be covered through the generosity of donors to the Husky Athletic Fund and increased ticket sales revenue.”
Within the press release, both UConn President Radenka Maric and Director of Athletics David Benedict expressed their excitement that Dan Hurley would be staying home.
“Dan Hurley is the best men's basketball coach in the nation and we are delighted that he will continue to call UConn home,” said UConn President Radenka Maric. “In addition to the exceptional program he has built over a period of years and the extraordinary back-to-back NCAA championships he and his teams won, Coach Hurley serves as a critical mentor to our student-athletes, pushing them to achieve both on the court and in the classroom, helping to lay the groundwork for their success in life long after they have left UConn.”
“On behalf of UConn Nation, we are thrilled that Coach Hurley will continue to lead the Men's Basketball program for the foreseeable future,” said UConn Director of Athletics David Benedict. “Dan and Andrea have poured themselves into the rebuilding of this program that culminated in the last two National Championships. This contract is recognition for the immense amount of effort that went into producing those results and the dedication it will require to sustain a program that expects to compete for conference and national championships in the future.”
On the topic of championship expectations, with the return of Dan Hurley — and of junior forward Alex Karaban — the UConn Huskies find themselves in the unprecedented position where after two consecutive National Championships, they now have a chance, and are favored, to become the first team since John Wooden's UCLA Bruins of the 1960s and 1970s to three-peat.
Can Dan Hurley lead UConn to a three-peat?
While it will certainly be difficult to win at the rate his team did last season, that has been Dan Hurley's M.O. since arriving in Storrs, Connecticut. Year after year, for six seasons now, the Huskies winning percentage has improved under Hurley, culminating with two consecutive National Titles and a dominant 37-3 record last season. But even while losing four starters from last season's championship team to the NBA Draft, Dan Hurley himself has already acknowledged that his squad in the 2024-25 season might be his most talented yet.
If that's the case, then Dan Hurley's “obsessive” pursuit of championships and historic success could end up paying off in a major way next April.
“It's an honor to coach basketball at UConn and to represent this world class institution and the great state of Connecticut,” Hurley said in the press release. “We are extremely proud of the championship program that we have rebuilt for our supporters and fans. We will continue to obsessively pursue championships and historic success, while continuing to develop great young men. Bleed Blue!”
