Let's just start here: UConn basketball head coach Dan Hurley being aggressively pursued by the Los Angeles Lakers was not the sort of news I expected to wake up to this morning, but that's exactly what ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has reported.
“The Lakers have had preliminary contact with Hurley and the sides are planning to escalate discussions in the coming days,” Wojnarowski wrote this morning. “Hurley has been at the forefront of the Lakers' search from the beginning of the process, even while the organization has done its due diligence interviewing several other candidates, sources said.”
As a UConn fan, I'm having a tough time wrapping my head around all of this. I suppose because Dan Hurley had come out and said he wouldn't be coaching any other program besides UConn, I had let my guard down, completely ignoring the fact that the NBA could very easily come calling. And it's not just the NBA. It's the league's most prestigious franchise. The white whale. The same franchise that nearly lured Coach K away from Duke back in 2004.
Now, in the immediate aftermath of this story breaking, I've put together a list of potential coaches who could (gulp) replace Dan Hurley at UConn if he were to leave.
Five Under the Radar Options
Amir Abdur-Rahim (South Florida) – The younger brother of former NBA All-Star and current G-League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Amir has compiled at 51-17 record the last two seasons while serving as the head coach at Kennesaw State and South Florida, leading the Owls to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance and the Bulls to their first Top 25 ranking.
Bob Richey (Furman) – The 41-year-old Richey has been the head coach at Furman for seven seasons, and each year the Paladins have finished the season with a winning record, including five years with at least 22 wins. Under Richey's guidance, Furman upset Virginia in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, their first tourney win in 49 years.
Eric Henderson (South Dakota State) – In each of Henderson's first three years with the program, the Jackrabbits were ranked in the top twenty of offensive efficiency. In five seasons at South Dakota State, Henderson is a four-time Summit League regular season champion, with two NCAA Tournament appearances on his resume as well.
Phil Martelli Jr. (Bryant) – The son of legendary Saint Joseph's head coach Phil Martelli Sr., Martelli Jr. has only been the head coach at Bryant for one season, taking over for previous coach Jared Grasso a week and a half into the season last year. But Martelli Jr. made his impact felt immediately, leading the Bulldogs to an upset win at Florida Atlantic just five days after getting the job. Martelli's roots are in the Northeast, so just geographically, this could be a nice fit.
Casey Alexander (Belmont) – Tasked with taking over at Belmont following the departure of 33-year coaching veteran Rick Byrd, the Bruins didn't take a step backwards under Casey Alexander. Though Belmont hasn't made an NCAA Tournament appearance during Alexander's tenure (they would've in 2020 had the NCAA Tournament not been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic), they have won at least twenty games in each of those five seasons.
Four Big-ish Names
Frank Martin (UMass) / Thad Matta (Butler) – Frank Martin and Thad Matta were two of the three final candidates to take over the UConn Huskies program in 2018, along with Dan Hurley, who ultimately got the job. It would make sense that UConn would potentially circle back to these two seasoned head coaches if Hurley were to take the Lakers coaching job.
Steve Pikiell (Rutgers) – Pikiell may not seem like a big name, but the Rutgers head coach has roots in Connecticut — he's from Bristol — and he has a track record of success. The Scarlett Knights' back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2022 marked only the second time in program history that Rutgers went dancing in consecutive years. Perhaps most importantly, Pikiell has proven to be a solid recruiter, leading Rutgers to the 3rd-best recruiting class heading into the 2024 season.
Will Wade (McNeese State) – Once upon a time Will Wade was one of the hottest coaching names in the country, but violations while at LSU set his coaching career back. Now, Wade has found success while at McNeese State, but it's only a matter of time until a major program comes calling. Why not UConn?
Three UConn Assistants
Luke Murray / Tom Moore / Kimani Young – It remains to be seen whether any members of the UConn staff would join Hurley in LA if he were to take the Lakers job, but if they didn't this would be my preferred direction that they go. Luke Murray — the son of legendary actor Bill Murray — has been credited as the man, along with Hurley, responsible for helping to turn the Huskies offense into one of the most beautiful and intricate in the country. Tom Moore has spent twenty years on the UConn bench as an assistant, under both Jim Calhoun and Dan Hurley. But Kimani Young, a former player at UTEP and a Queens, New York native, may be the favorite to land the job if Hurley were to leave. Young is listed as the Associate Head Coach of the team, and has been largely responsible for recruiting and developing players such as Tristen Newton, Stephon Castle and Jordan Hawkins.
Two Drew Brothers
Scott Drew (Baylor) / Bryce Drew (Grand Canyon) – Scott Drew recently turned down a chance to take the Kentucky job, so the Baylor head coach may not be in play here, but his younger brother could very much be in play. Bryce Drew has led Grand Canyon to three NCAA Tournament appearances in the last four years, and he had tremendous success at Valparaiso, his alma mater, prior to that. His three-year stop at Vanderbilt wasn't as successful, though Drew did lead Vandy to an NCAA Tournament appearance in his first year with the school.
One Big Name
Nate Oats (Alabama) – Much like DJ Khaled, all Nate Oats does is win, accumulating a 213-97 record in nine seasons as a head coach. Oats led the University of Buffalo to a school record 32 wins in 2019, and took Alabama to their only Final Four in program history last year. And don't forget, Oats has a connection to the Hurley family. He got his Division I start as an assistant under Dan Hurley's brother Bobby Hurley at Buffalo.
If Dan Hurley leaves UConn, then the “Best College Basketball Coach Alive” championship belt might be heading to Nate Oats. So why shouldn't he be coaching The Best College Basketball Program in the country?
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