A season that was supposed to be remembered for etching history was instead marred by inconsistencies. It will be the Maui Invitational that will scream louder, and it will be the loss against Seton Hall that will haunt. Hungrier, physical, and intense. That was the image the 2-time defending champions were expected to carry. But the most we got to see of it was only limited to Dan Hurley. He stomped the floor, shouted at his players, and got under the refs’ skins. Many believed it increased for the worse. But Bob Hurley isn’t faulting his sons.

Dan and Bob Hurley’s courtside antics have been inseparable in their conversations. The former landed his first technical foul this season as early as in November when he disagreed with a foul call against freshman Liam McNeeley. For Bob, one came in February during a game against Arizona. Those have only pushed the two brothers to the top spots in the technical fouls list, as per an interview shared on Reddit.

So when Bob Hurley Sr. was asked if that spoke of the toughness and integrity the Hurley family shared, the national coach credited it to officiating calls instead. “I’d say probably has to do with that officiating, to be perfectly honest. And very emotional guys on the sideline that are invested. I think the older coaches get the more inclined they are to allow stuff,” he said.

The 4x National champion continued and called out the officiating for affecting the entire game. He hoped somebody would put a stop to certain decisions. “I don’t know when it’s gonna happen with them that they are going to let just mediocre officiating affect an outcome and not be annoyed about it. Because the investment of the time that the players and coaches put in is far greater than the official put in.”

The video was uploaded on Reddit, where Bob Huely Sr. was pretty much on the side of his sons receiving bad calls. That’s clearly what Dan Hurley had been saying through his sideline antics, and it was visible even after the loss to the Gators.

Bob Hurley Sr. speaks on the reason Dan & Bobby lead the league in Technical fouls among coaches.
byu/cdrumeler inCollegeBasketball

“I hope they don’t f— you like they f—— us. I hope they don’t do that to you, Baylor.” The veteran coach warned Baylor ahead of their faceoff against another no. 1 seed, the Duke Blue Devils. Even after the post-game press conference, Dan Hurley highlighted the officiating error that turned the momentum in favor of the Gators.

ESPN analyst calls Dan Hurley’s lack of maturity after March Madness exit

After 1,102 days without a tournament defeat, the UConn Huskies lost with an agonizingly close margin. A one-possession loss to the higher-ranked Florida team does sum up their inconsistent season. They suffered three straight games at Maui in November but remained undefeated in December. Their struggles began again in January when they lost three unranked contests. February was the same, with three losses.

In one of the games earlier this season, the 52-year-old said, “Don’t turn your back on me! I’m the best coach in the f–king sport!” After his tunnel rant after the second-round game, ESPN’s Jay Bilas called out Dan Hurley. “”I would think maturity would be helpful in these situations. Some of what you hear from Danny is reasonable, while other parts are excuses.”

Despite the defeat, the HC did find some positives for his team. “We played with tremendous honor and the heart of a championship program.” Dan Hurley must prepare himself for the transfer portal, searching for key pieces to bring in. With a few smart moves, he’s hoping to rebuild and turn the Huskies back into a championship contender for next season.