National Reporter Puts His Foot Down on Dan Hurley as UConn Fails to Overcome Their Big East Woes

“Don’t turn your back on me. I’m the best coach in the f— sport.” This is what Dan Hurley said when his 2-time defending champs UConn Huskies barely beat the Butler Bulldogs 80-78. Well, the self-proclaimed ”best coach in the sport” was at his wit’s end when his side lost to the Xavier Musketeers 72-76.

Dailyn Swain and Zach Freemantle each scored 15 points to help Xavier defeat the Huskies. With this loss, Hurley’s squad now stands at 14-6 overall and 6-3 in the Big East. Pressure is mounting as they strive to bounce back and regain momentum in pursuit of their elusive third NCAA championship in a row.

As the Huskies’ Big East struggles persist, the pressure on Coach Hurley is growing. Fans and analysts alike are demanding answers. Rob Dauster and Jeff Goodman of ‘The Field of 68: After Dark’ podcast took to the courtside at Neville Arena to dissect UConn’s ongoing woes.

Jeff Goodman says the Huskies shouldn’t be evaluated in the absence of their best player Liam McNeeley. He says, “Yes, I agree, when they get McNeeley back we will have a better evaluation of them. The question is whether they’ll be able to flip it back.” While he does admit McNeeley is a big miss for Hurley he is also looking forward to see how he performs after his injury, as his performances will determine the future of the Huskies.

He continues by asking Dauster the question of the hour, ” Will McNeeley be a true threat or are they a first-week casualty no matter what?” Dauster replies to this by saying, “The fact that UConn is still in the top 25, it says a lot about what Hurley’s been able to do coaching this team and winning a lot of close games that maybe they shouldn’t have been able to win.”

This all but confirms the coaching attributes of coach Hurley, it’s immature to blame a coach for a team’s struggles right after he delivered two titles in consecutive years but Jeff Goodman points out to the fact that while some players have grown under Hurley, the rest haven’t. Despite recognizing the monumental impact Hurley has had on the Huskies, Goodman still directs some of the criticism squarely at the coach, adding fuel to the fire surrounding UConn’s current woes.

In his candid conversation with Dauster, Goodman says, “Some of these guys have developed (mentions Solo Ball, Jaylin Stewart and Hassan Diarra) but some of these other guys have probably not developed, is some of this on him? and it’s hard to say again because they’ve won two titles, they got a new team.”

As the debate over Dan Hurley’s coaching acumen heats up, there’s another key reason why fans and analysts are starting to turn up the heat on him. Let’s dive into what’s fueling the growing criticism and why this season’s struggles are putting Hurley under the microscope like never before.

Pressure is building on Dan Hurley

Fans and analysts are adding up the pressure on Coach Hurley, with his fiery antics drawing more attention than ever before. We have all known about the coach’s fiery reputation at the touchline during games. Hurley himself admitted he’s built this reputation for being intense on the sidelines, but he believes the spotlight is unfairly fixed on him.

“I see the other coaches as demonstrative as I am,” Hurley said. “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.”  With his 28-match unbeaten streak at home snapped by Creighton and a frustrating loss to the Musketeers, it’s clear Hurley is feeling the heat. The pressure’s building and it seems like his patience is wearing thin. Both on the court and in front of the camera.

Now all eyes are on the Huskies as they host the DePaul Blue Demons. ESPN gives them a 93% chance to win, and Dan Hurley will surely be hoping for a victory to bring some much-needed consistency to what has been a rollercoaster of a season. As analysts continue to debate Hurley’s coaching and the struggles of the Huskies, his frustration is evident, with pressure mounting both on the court and in front of the cameras. Stay tuned for more updates!