When the Los Angeles Lakers made the decision to fire Darvin Ham, one of the first names that emerged was J.J. Redick, in a bit of a surprise. But that was nothing compared to who the Lakers are actually targeting to be their next head coach.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers are closing on hiring UConn’s Dan Hurley and are preparing a “massive, long-term” contract offer to the back-to-back NCAA Champion. Woj indicates that the Lakers and Hurley have already been in contact, and negotiations are expected to heat up over the next few days.
Notably, Hurley has reportedly been at the top of the Lakers’ want list since the start of the offseason, it’s just that both sides have managed to keep the news to themselves. Yet, he’s already begun informing UConn players that he is indeed negotiating with the Lakers.
“Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka and governor Jeanie Buss are eager to formally discuss with Hurley their vision of marrying his dominant program — built upon both his tactical acumen and elite player development — with the storied Lakers’ brand, sources said.”
Adrian Wojnarowski on Los Angeles Lakers’ interest in Dan Hurley
Hurley, 51, has never coached in the NBA but has been coaching at the college level since 1997 when he joined Rutgers as an assistant. He’s been a head coach since 2001, and has been coaching the Huskies since 2018. If he joins the NBA, Hurley will leave behind his .642 college win rate behind and will look to start fresh in the pros.
It’s safe to say, LeBron James would be on board with this hire, but the Lakers aren’t acting to impress the future Hall of Famer, they’re trying to add a coach who can help all players on the roster, not just foster relationships with their top talent.
The Huskies are expected to see two players become lottery picks in the 2024 NBA Draft, with Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle set to join the pros, and Hurley has had a major role in their continued development. It should be noted that if Hurley departs, the transfer portal for UConn will re-open for 30 days.
Related: Los Angeles Lakers news: Trade deadline offer for Kyrie Irving revealed
Related: Top 10 coaching candidates to replace Dan Hurley with UConn Huskies