Dan Hurley joins coaches denying interest in Kentucky job following UConn title

Dan Hurley made his future at UConn clear following Monday’s national title game win: If Kentucky wants him, it will have to drag him and his wife, Andrea, out of Storrs, CT.

The UConn coach dismissed any possible interest in the Kentucky job after the Huskies became the first program to win back-to-back titles in 17 years, citing his wife as a reason why he won’t make the move.

“Oh my God, Kentucky or anywhere that’s going to take her further from New Jersey,” Hurley told reporters of the Kentucky opening. “I mean, we just went to Rhode Island, which I had to drag her to, and then to Connecticut. I got her closer. And now further? I can’t afford a divorce right now, too. I just started making money.”

Hurley added “the last thing I’m thinking about is another place,” telling reporters that his focus is on trying to help UConn become the first team to three-peat since UCLA won seven titles in a row between 1967 and 73.

While Hurley affirmed his commitment to the school, UConn athletic director David Benedict will do his part to ensure he remains in Connecticut. Benedict told The Athletic that he’ll do “everything we can to remain in position to win championships.”

“The market is the market and Kentucky is obviously Kentucky, but last time I checked, we won the last two national championships and we’ve got six of them,” Benedict added in his comments to The Athletic. “So I think UConn is a pretty good job and Dan’s doing an unbelievable job.

“We obviously hope that he’s with us for a long time. UConn has a tradition of keeping coaches that have reached Hall-of-Fame level success at UConn for a long period of time — coach [Jim] Calhoun, coach [Geno] Auriemma. I’m sure they had plenty of opportunities to leave and we certainly hope that Dan follows suit.”

Hurley’s dismissal of interest in the Kentucky job came roughly 24 hours after news emerged that John Calipari was leaving the program to become Arkansas’ head coach. Arkansas’ hiring of Calipari hasn’t become official as of Tuesday morning, but the news swept the college basketball world in the leadup to UConn’s win over Purdue.

Alabama coach Nate Oats, who was one of the first heavily speculated candidates to replace Calipari alongside Hurley, denied any interest in the Kentucky job on Monday.

“I am fully committed to this team and to this University,” Oats wrote in a statement. “We have already accomplished some great things here, and there is nothing I want more than for the University of Alabama to win its first national championship in men’s basketball. Despite any rumors to the contrary, rest assured that I will continue that pursuit as your head coach.”

Former Villanova coach Jay Wright also shot down rumors that he could unretire to coach Kentucky. Wright, who’s now an analyst for CBS Sports, responded “yes” when asked if he was giving a “firm no” to the gig.

“What John Calipari has done in Kentucky, it’s not just the recruiting, the Final Fours,” Wright said of the Kentucky job on TBS’ pregame show ahead of Monday’s title game. “It’s getting guys to the NBA, taking care of their families. It’s their big blue Midnight Madness, having Drake come in, having the top recruits in the country every single year. That program is known worldwide.

“And it always was, but he took it into this new generation and did an incredible job. That guy that replaces him is going to be in a really difficult position to cover all the areas of college basketball.

Wright’s Villanova squad was the last college program that came close to holding the dynasty mantle, as he coached the Wildcats to titles in 2016 and 2018. Hurley is hoping he can capture a third title that eluded Wright in his final four seasons as Villanova’s head coach, saying the prep for next begins on UConn’s flight home back to Storrs.

“We’re going to dive in and put together a roster that can play a comparable level of basketball to the one that you guys have witnessed the last two years,” Hurley said. “That’s I know what our mindset will be.”

---

---