Disagreeing with referees is as much part of sports as losing and winning. A coach might exchange some heated words with the official or throw dirty looks their way. And then there’s the Dan Hurley way, which takes dramatics to another level. Angry shouting, constant fights, and just a general blow-up. We all saw what happened in Maui when UConn played Memphis but the Huskies head coach did not seem too concerned about it afterward. Now John Goodman has presented another scenario.

Arguments with refs are not uncommon, sure, but they’re based on the belief that going forward, they will make calls just as they have before. But what if there’s an unconscious shift toward the opposite sentiment? On The Field of 68: After Dark, Goodman tells Robbie Hummel, “A ton of refs reached out to me and I talked to a bunch. They’re all on the same page.”

The same page is likely treating Hurley as a ‘problem.’ “It’s gonna be interesting to see when Big East play starts if they band together now. If Dan Hurley is still at this level – you know, the other side to this is, does UConn turn this a little bit?” Goodman then goes on to describe the Huskies’ schedule and how the narrative needs to change if Hurley doesn’t want to be portrayed as a “raging lunatic.”

“They got a tough schedule coming up, right away they play Baylor here at home. Then they go to Texas, then they play Gonzaga at home for the next three games,” continues the journalist. “So if this gets worse or doesn’t flip, and he goes into Big East play a raging lunatic, does the crew of Big East officials band together and say, ‘You know what? We’re not gonna take this anymore.'”

Described as the next villain in college sports, Hurley’s antics have gained as much attention as the good he’s done for his team. A back-to-back championship is rare in college hoops but the UConn head hog is ready to do it the third time as well. While he can train his boys as much as he wants, Hurley plays a role in their wins too, whether he likes it or not. And yet…

Dan Hurley likely not regretting his actions the way some want him to

UConn losing three straight games at the Maui Invitational was enough of a shock for fans without watching Dan Hurley blow a fuse. And yet, it was the main story to come out of the Hawaii games. After the close loss to Memphis, the Huskies coach sat down with the press to reveal his thoughts on the refs making a bad call at a crucial moment.

“I had a lot of issues with what went on. That over-the-back call… there was a Memphis player that made a half-a– effort, Liam McNeeley high-pointed the rebound, and for that call to be made… was a complete joke. I may have lost my balance by the absurdity of the call.”

Interestingly, this was the same coach described as “mild-mannered” with his approach to basketball in UConn’s first trophy run. But two years later, it’s a new Dan Hurley in front of us, the pressure of the third consecutive championship with a young team on his shoulders. And it looks like the script is not flipping anytime soon.