Shutterstock.com
The UConn basketball program has found its new head coach. Following a disappointing 2017-18 campaign for the Huskies, reports indicate the team has hired Rhode Island’s Dan Hurley to replace Kevin Ollie.
Ollie was fired after his sixth season leading the program and a 14-18 record this season.
Hurley has led Rhode Island to two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and chose the Huskies job over another offer from Pitt. This season, Rhode Island went 26-8 and won the Atlantic 10 regular season championship.
UConn made the news official on social media.
It's official! Dan Hurley named Head Coach of @UConnMBB. pic.twitter.com/G5ppW9fneO
— UConn Huskies (@UConnHuskies) March 22, 2018
Hurley, who is just 45 years old, has compiled a 151-105 record during his colleg coaching career at Rhode Island and a previous stop at Wagner. He is the younger brother of current Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley.
There is plenty of excitement surrounding the new head coach.
“Our basketball programs, both men and women, are nationally competitive. They are nationally renowned. They’ve won more national championships in the last two decades than most schools will win in the history of time,” House Majority Leader Matt Ritter said, via the Hartford Courant.
“So you’re going to have to pay coaches competitively to do that. I think UConn basketball is something our state rallies around particularly during this time of year and so to be competitive you’re going to have to pay coaches well.”
Hurley’s deal with the Huskies is a six-year contract, that pays less than he would have received if he would have accepted the Pitt job.
