The Los Angeles Lakers could be on the verge of shocking the NBA world. It was reported on Thursday that Los Angeles is eyeing UConn head coach Dan Hurley for the same role to replace the fired Darvin Ham.
Prior to Thursday, Hurley’s name had not come up in rumors surrounding the Lakers’ head coach search. In fact, it seemed as if general manager Rob Pelinka and Co. were zeroing in on hiring JJ Redick.
We now have some more information on this from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, Woj reported that Hurley will meet with Pelinka and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss Friday in Southern Califonia. The hope for Los Angeles is that a deal will come together this coming weekend.
“Dan Hurley, I am told, is on his way to meet with the Lakers tomorrow. He’ll sit down with Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss,” report on Los Angeles Lakers and Dan Hurley. “They will start to dig into what a Hurley-Lakers partnership would look like. The Lakers would love to get a deal with Dan Hurley wrapped up this weekend. I expect these talks will move quickly. There is a lot of traction here between Hurley and the Lakers.”
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Dan Hurley makes perfect sense for the Los Angeles Lakers
Hurley, 51, is among the most-respected college basketball head coaches in the nation. He has served as the Huskies head coach since 2018 and is coming off back-to-back national championships.
It’s a rarity for a college coach to make the jump to the professional ranks. Currently, Billy Donovan has enjoyed the most success since he left the Florida Gators. He’s currently the Chicago Bulls’ head coach.
Los Angeles is said to be looking for a long-term option on the bench. The focus has been finding someone who can lead the charge once LeBron James calls it a career. Hurley obviously fits the bill here.