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Los Angeles Lakers Targeting UConn National Champs Coach Dan Hurley – Report
An interesting off-season for the Los Angeles Lakers is growing even bigger, as reports are circulating that the team is targeting UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley to fill its head coach opening.
Hurley has won back-to-back national championships at the University of Connecticut. ESPN, among other outlets, has reported the Lakers are preparing a long-term contract to enlist him.
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Several other coaching candidates were interviewed, ESPN reports. But Hurley has been the top choice, and reports indicate he is interested.
College basketball, like all NCAA sports, is being massively changed by new rules. Players can now freely transfer, and they also can generate income with name, image and licensing deals (NIL).
On the horizon are more changes that will likely see athletes receive income directly from their schools, the fallout of a recently settled class action lawsuit against the NCAA and the bigger athletic conferences.
All of that means that recruiting top athletes and getting them to stay in school is becoming ever more difficult. Hurley has often stated that he’d be interested in an NBA job at some point. Now age 51, and with an offer likely from one of the NBA’s top franchises, he may be ready to move on.
ESPN said Hurley told UConn players Thursday that the Lakers had contacted him and that he was listening.
The Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham after a first-round exit in the Western Conference playoffs. Hurley is 141-58 (.709) in six seasons as the UConn coach.
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