“[Dan Hurley] Is the Main Character”: College BB Analyst Calls UConn HC a “Sore Loser” After Last Night’s Comments

The University of Connecticut’s historic NCAA Tournament win streak came to an end on Sunday after top-ranked Florida scraped by the Huskies, 77-75. After winning back-to-back National Championships, Dan Hurley’s squad failed to come out of the second round in their quest for a three-peat.

The Huskies kept the contest close throughout but were unable to hold on to their one-possession lead with just over four minutes remaining. Hurley has been the winningest coach in college basketball over the last couple of years, but his postgame comments sent a clear message that he wasn’t ready to give that title up.

While walking out of the tunnel following their loss, Hurley sent a message to the Baylor squad, who were preparing to play next. “I hope they don’t f*** you like they f’ed us, Baylor. I really hope they don’t,” the veteran head coach said, likely referring to the controversial officiating from his game.

The Bears were defeated handily by Duke soon after, so Hurley’s warning proved to be a moot point. But his message still stuck with those who believed he simply couldn’t accept a loss.

In a postgame interview, Hurley got choked up discussing UConn’s untimely defeat after setting his eyes on a third-straight title. “I thought we played with tremendous honor. I thought we played with the heart of a championship program that’s gone back-to-back,” Hurley said.

“This year’s been a real battle. We battled and battled… You know, at times, I don’t think we liked each other a whole lot… But I don’t think I’ll ever love a team more for how hard they fought for what we were trying to accomplish and the honor they played with tonight,” Hurley continued with tears in his eyes.

While Hurley’s emotional postgame presser may have moved the hearts of many, Jay Williams was unfazed by the coach’s  message, especially after his his officiating-related outburst. Williams believes Hurley has become so used to winning that he doesn’t know what to do when things don’t go his way.

“[Dan Hurley] is the main character of college basketball,” Williams began. “And when you’re the main character, let me just state some facts for you. Number one, there are times that Dan Hurley is a sore loser.”

Williams acknowledged how revered Hurley is by his players and how he’ll make sure officials know he’s the best coach in college basketball. “Dan is gonna do some wild things that are gonna be disruptive to how people want ‘true’ coaches to be.”

Hurley notably declined a coaching offer with the Los Angeles Lakers to chase a three-peat with UConn. Now that the college’s win streak has ended, though, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the 52-year-old step into the NBA coaching carousel once again.