Dan Hurley Calls for Family Help as Richard Joins Father Rick Pitino in Big East

We are less than a month away from the end of this season, and while all eyes are locked on the ones still in the race, there’s already some new buzz about next season’s coaching moves. The biggest move recently? Obviously, Sean Miller leaving Xavier for Tennessee and Richard Pitino leaving New Mexico for Xavier. But you know why the Pitino move is extra special? Now, out of 11 Big East schools, two will be led by Pitinos! And it looks like all this family business has got Dan Hurley thinking… about adding his own family to the mix.

We already knew that after his eight seasons (in his second stint) with Xavier, Sean Miller was on his way out, taking the Texas head coaching job. Xavier’s athletic director, Greg Christopher, confirmed that the “search for our next head coach has already begun, and we are moving quickly to find the right leader for our program.” 

Well, turns out they found their guy pretty quickly in Richard Pitino.

And rightfully so! Pitino has coached 13 seasons as a head coach, finishing his New Mexico tenure with an 88-49 record, winning the Mountain West in 2023-2024, making the NCAA tournament the last two years, and even advancing for the first time in 13 years this season. 

And not to forget…he’s got those Pitino genes. He learned from the best, spending two separate stints at Louisville coaching alongside his father, Rick Pitino, who is leading Big East rival St. John’s.

“It was all going to be about fit with me,” Pitino Jr. said. “Getting back to the East certainly was appealing from a family situation.” And that “family situation” seems to have Hurley feeling some type of way. Not in the same way, obviously, but enough for him to say, “Sean [Miller], he’s one of the best coaches in the country, but adding Richard [Pitino]… now I’ve got two Pitinos. I gotta get my brother in the league.”

We all know Bobby Hurley, but when it comes to coaching careers, the contrast between the Hurley brothers is pretty clear. Bobby had it all as a player—winning championships, being a consensus First-Team All-American, you name it. But as a coach not so much. Could the Big East be his big break? Maybe. Especially when most people around ASU seem to think it’s time for a change.

Bobby’s program—after a rough 13-19 debut in the Big 12—is looking stagnant at best. He’s done some solid work, sure, becoming the second-winningest coach in ASU history with 168 wins. But when it counts, the Sun Devils have only made March Madness three times under his tenure, all of them First Four scrapes, and they never last past the first weekend. 

So, at this moment, a change could be the best option for him and the program. And fans are already throwing out options where he could land with names like Providence and Villanova floating around. 

So could we really see another Hurley in the Big East soon? Well, let’s just say the door isn’t completely shut. For now, though, Dan Hurley’s got other things on his mind, like dealing with the heartbreak of UConn’s season-ending loss.

Dan Hurley’s three-peat dream crushed in a dramatic finish

Dan Hurley ran through the full spectrum of emotions on Sunday after his Huskies fell 77-75 to Florida in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, officially ending UConn’s bid for a third straight national championship.

There was anger—directed at the officiating down the stretch, leading to Hurley storming off the court and lashing out over some questionable calls. There was frustration—at his team’s mistakes, like failing to box out on free throws and missing key rebounds. There were tears—plenty of them—as he realized his championship run had abruptly ended, and he had to say goodbye to seniors like Alex Karaban and Samson Johnson, who gave their all to the program.

And then, finally, there was pride. Because despite the heartbreak, Hurley knew what UConn had built over the past three years. And even though this roster wasn’t as stacked as his last two championship teams, they still fought hard. They were an 8-seed, after all, winning a third straight title would’ve taken a minor miracle. 

But knowing it was coming didn’t make it any easier when it finally hit.

Hurley’s outburst was caught on camera as he left the court. Queen City News’ Joey Ellis posted the video, which quickly went viral. The head coach later admitted there were things he wished he hadn’t done, particularly his profane outburst about the officiating. 

“Those are three great officials on that game,” Hurley said, trying to smooth things over. “Although I said something in the heat of the moment, in an area of the arena that in pretty much every game I’ve ever coached in college has been media-free… that’s for the combatants, that’s for the competitors. That’s not for camera phones.”

Charlotte Sports Live later reported that UConn’s sports information director, Bobby Mullen, had asked Ellis to take the video down and allegedly made a threatening comment. Ellis later confirmed that Mullen apologized, but the damage was already done.

And just like that, Dan Hurley’s season ended exactly how it played out all year—some media drama, some officiating complaints, and a whole lot of emotion. Now, let’ see how/ if he will bounce back next season.