“Don’t turn your back on me. I’m the best coach in the f— sport.” That’s what Dan Hurley screamed at a ref during UConn’s nail-biter of a game against Butler. The No. 19-ranked Huskies barely escaped with an 80-78 overtime win, but what should have been a straightforward W turned into a full-on thriller. And Hurley’s antics were front and center once again.

Now, we all know Hurley’s fiery reputation, right? The coach has been passionate on the sidelines his entire career. But this season, that intensity has come with a price. He’s picked up technicals and hasn’t held back when it comes to calling out what he believes is some pretty biased officiating. 

Post-game, he admitted he’s created this reputation for himself, but he just wishes they would show these other coaches losing their minds. “I see the other coaches as demonstrative as I am. I just wish that they would not have the camera on me 90 percent of the time. Unless they feel like it’s driving ratings,” he said.

This fiery moment and the 52-year-old coach’s reaction to it sparked a heated debate among ESPN’s announcers on College GameDay. Rece Davis kicked things off with some playful teasing, saying, “I don’t know about driving ratings, but when you’re the best coach in the sport the camera’s going to be on you.”

Jay Williams, on the other hand, seemed ‘okay’ with it. “That’s who I know Dan Hurley to be,” he said. Williams acknowledged that while Hurley’s approach might not be ideal, it’s authentic. According to him, the world’s gotten “softer” about how players and coaches express themselves. 

And he doubled down on Hurley being one of the best, adding, “Where’s the lie?” Seth Greenberg echoed a similar sentiment, though he didn’t sugarcoat it. “Dan Hurley is unapologetically himself,” he said. “Look, he’s not fake. He’s good for the sport of basketball.”

But then, Jay Bilas came in with a different perspective, putting the focus on how this kind of behavior affects the game. “Take Dan Hurley out of it. If you say that about any coach, it’s just an excuse for bad behavior,” Bilas said. 

He argued that constant berating of officials creates a perception problem. “Fans think it’s influencing calls. If it is, that’s a competitive advantage we need to address. If it’s not, then it’s bad optics,” he said, calling the situation “not a crisis.” 

Bottom line? Bilas wasn’t buying Hurley’s complaints. But this does say a lot about college officiating, too. Are there really any competitive advantages due to coaches’ reactions? Well, Dan Hurley would say it’s the other way around for them. 

And while these heated debates about Hurley and officiating rage on, Huskies fans were barely savoring the high of an overtime win before they were smacked with a tough loss. 

Dan Hurley & Co. drop another conference play

UConn men came up short in a 76-72 Big East showdown against Xavier on Saturday night. And just like that, UConn sits at 14-6 overall and 6-3 in conference play. Not exactly the vibe they were going for.

Let’s start with Solo Ball. The guy was everywhere, dropping a game-high 20 points and grabbing a career-high 11 boards. But those 6-for-17 shooting stats were not ideal. Samson Johnson stepped up with 12 points and five blocks—tied for his career-best.

Despite it all, UConn couldn’t get a grip on this one despite leading at halftime. A brutal 1-for-11 showing from deep in the second half sealed the deal, along with 13 turnovers that felt like daggers. Twice they clawed back from 10-point holes, and twice Xavier answered right back.

To their credit, UConn didn’t stop fighting. With under a minute left, UConn had a chance to tie it. Ball’s three was off, Diarra’s heroics gave them another shot, but it all fell apart. A shot clock violation with five seconds left handed Xavier the W.

Now, all eyes are on what’s next. The Huskies head back home to face DePaul on Wednesday and with all the chatter about officiating, analyst criticism, and conference struggles, it’s safe to say Dan Hurley and crew have a lot on their plate. Can they still keep the three-peat dream alive? Guess we’ll see.