Will the Lakers select Dan Hurley?
The UConn coach, now a prominent figure in college basketball, is set to receive a “substantial offer” from the Los Angeles team and is open to the idea.
The Lakers bench is still without a tenant, but its occupant might not be the one everyone thought it would be, especially in the last 24 hours. Former player and communicator JJ Redick had been designated as a replacement for the fired Darvin Ham.
On Tuesday night, journalist Shams Charania from The Athletic reported that 39-year-old JJ Redick, who will be joining ESPN as a commentator for the Finals, is the most serious candidate for the Lakers HC job. Redick also hosts a successful podcast, “Mind The Game,” with LeBron James. It’s uncertain whether LeBron will stay in Los Angeles, but it’s unlikely that he will leave. It seems that LeBron will not be accepting his player option, and although all options are being considered, staying with the Lakers remains the most probable choice for LeBron.
It appears that the Lakers are not pursuing J.J. Redick, as Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported. Instead, they seem to be preparing a substantial and long-term offer for Dan Hurley, the current UConn coach. Hurley, aged 51, has been with UConn since 2018 and has achieved many successes, including winning the College Coach of the Year award this year and the national title in the previous two seasons.
How interested is Dan Hurley in the Los Angeles Lakers job?
According to Wojnarowski, the final offensive will come in the coming days, and Hurley has always been the favorite even though the Lakers, within the usual coaching search process, have held meetings and interviews with other candidates: Redick, James Borrego, Sam Cassell, David Adelman…
Hurley is excited about the opportunity to join the NBA, especially with a team like the Lakers. The team’s rich history and potential make it an appealing destination for him. While the Lakers failed to lure college coach Mike Krzyzewski 20 years ago, they now seem to have more favorable options, according to ESPN.
The Angelenos would also have the blessing of a LeBron who likes Hurley’s ability as an offensive strategist, something that has turned UConn into a basically unstoppable team in the last university cycle (+140 total difference, absolute record, in the previous national university tournament). In six seasons, their record is 141-58 (70.9% wins). He is also the son of Bob Hurley Sr, the legendary coach (a member of the Hall of Fame) for whom he played at the famous St Anthony’s High School in Jersey. About that team and the life of Hurley Sr., Wojnarowski wrote a book that is already a classic in American sports literature: The Miracle Of St Anthony.