“There’s honor in the way we went out.” UConn fell just short of greatness. Todd Golden’s Florida did not just end Uconn’s 13-game winning streak, they also ended their 32-year-long drought against the Huskies. And Dan Hurley? Well, as Jay Williams of ESPN said, “Hurley may be the main character in college basketball, but there are times that he is a sore loser. That is the reality.” During the post-game press conference, Hurley’s frustration was quite visible when he called out referees as well. Being a serial winner for nearly 3 years, it is quite understandable how this defeat stung. But now, with UConn’s season officially over, Hurley has opened up about just how hard it is to cope with defeat.

At one point of the game, the Huskies even seemed confident of a Sweet Sixteen ticket in their grasp, only to watch it slip away. Coming in, Florida was the heavy favorite, but by halftime? It was anybody’s game. UConn fought tooth and nail, refusing to back down. But in the end, it just wasn’t meant to be. Walter Clayton Jr. buried a couple of cold-blooded deep threes, and just like that, Dan Hurley’s squad saw their championship hopes fade away. Having won two consecutive championships, Hurley is often in the spotlight for being THE guy to win it all. But on Sunday, apart from the defeat, the Huskies HC grabbed some eyeballs for his ‘struggle with ego.’

“I really hope they don’t F*** you like they F***** us Baylor.” These were the exact words Hurley said before ending his presser. Renowned college basketball analyst did not hold back when addressing Hurley’s behavior. “I would think maturity would be helpful in these situations,” he said. “Some of what you hear from Danny is reasonable, while other parts are excuses.” But when admitting what went wrong for Uconn, HC Hurley was a little too honest about his own struggle.

After the game, Coach Hurley sat down and spoke openly about the loss. Not only that, he showed a remarkable amount of self-awareness and humility during his interactions with the press. “There’s a lot of rewiring and things I’ve got to do in the off-season because you just get caught up in this tidal wave of success that we’ve had.” Hurley said. “You lose perspective. You struggle with the ego at times because you’ve been on this incredible run.” His honest confession of the situation was quite refreshing!

It’s no secret—Dan Hurley let some things get to his head this season. His reputation took a serious hit, thanks to his ongoing clashes with officials. The public perception of UConn’s head coach? Let’s just say—it’s seen better days. But this loss to Florida? This one hit differently. It wasn’t just about basketball. It was personal—both emotionally and financially.

After all, Dan Hurley’s contract has large bonuses connected with how far his team goes in the NCAA Tournament. During his consecutive championships, he made about $1.8 million in bonuses each year and this season? He has lost the opportunity to get his hands on an additional $1.3 million. For reference, just making it to the championship game would’ve earned Hurley an additional $700,000.

UConn let go of an incredible chance against Florida. With how the Huskies ended up playing, they missed a sure shot at the Sweet Sixteen. Financial losses aside, this was a three-peat year for them, and a lot of their stars are moving on. So what did Dan Hurley say after the game? What are his plans for the next season?

Dan Hurley looking forward to “a normal offseason” after emotional tournament exit

The Huskies didn’t hand Florida anything. Sure, the Gators were the favorites coming in, but Dan Hurley’s squad came in locked and loaded, treating this second-round matchup like it was their last. And in many ways, it was. They fought. They clawed. They left it all on the floor. But in the end, UConn’s dream run fell just short.

Hurley, in the post-game press conference, talked about how it was a tough loss for his team. However, he didn’t refrain from giving proper credit to Florida. “If it’s going to come to an end for us, I wouldn’t have wanted it to be in a game where we lost to a lower seed.” He said. “There’s some honor, I guess, in the way that this went down.”

But what’s next for the Huskies? Well, they look towards next year. The past two seasons have been a flurry of fame and success, and Hurley is welcoming a break from it all! “It will be nice to get to a normal offseason and just get back to myself as a coach and not have to throw out first pitches.” The UConn head coach said, looking forward to making better coaching decisions in the coming year.

Regardless of how emotional the loss has been, this season was a good learning opportunity for UConn. The competition is getting tougher by the day, as teams learn and grow from the champions that came before them. Dan Hurley will need to lock in his crew for the next season, as new challenges will await them!