Jersey Native Dan Hurley Target for Lakers HC Job

Could University of Connecticut Head Coach Dan Hurley be on his way to Los Angeles to coach LeBron James and the Lakers? Well according to reports, it sure does look that way.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, both sides have a mutual interest. In short, where there's smoke, there's fire.

Woj added that Hurley had "been at the forefront of the Lakers' search from the beginning of the process, even while the organization has done its due diligence interviewing other candidates."

This is a fascinating story that will no doubt reverberate throughout both college hoops and the NBA.

Dan Hurley, the son of Hall of Fame High School Basketball coach Bob Hurley Sr., who grew up around the game with his brother Bobby Hurley in the neighborhoods of Hudson County, New Jersey is one of the game's best coaches.

He's both energetic and demanding much like his father was at St. Anthony's. But more importantly, he knows how to build a winning program.

Ironically, Hurley has tried to avoid the gleam of other jobs since UCONN cut down the nets in April on its second consecutive championship.

There were rumors about Kentucky when John Calipari left for Arkansas that Hurley would be on the shortlist. He reportedly turned it down to stay at Connecticut and go for a three-peat.

Then there was this interview on the Dan Patrick Show, which you can hear on Fox Sports Radio, where Hurley alludes to the gleam of the NBA perhaps, one day, attracting him.

NIL COULD BE REASON WHY...

It is true the landscape of college sports has drastically changed. With the NIL, players can willfully move around from college team to college team for stronger endorsement money. In short for many coaches, college is starting to feel like the pros.

Players now enter the transfer portal, and college teams are making their best pitches. If Hurley should leave for the Lakers, no question many of his remaining players would likely enter the portal.

HOW COULD THIS IMPACT LOCAL PROGRAMS LIKE RUTGERS?

It remains to be seen who from UCONN would enter the portal should Dan Hurley leave. If he does exit for Hollywoodland, one would imagine that Rutgers, like many other programs, would compete for players in the portal.

Rutgers enters the 2024-25 campaign with the number 3 overall recruiting class after they secured the number 2 overall prospect in Dylan Harper last winter.

In short, stay tuned. This is going to get interesting.