In the world of basketball coaches, it’s impossible to not draw attention to Dan Hurley. The ‘third Hurley’ of the family, the 51-year-old has turned the last half-decade of UConn men’s basketball into something else. And despite lucrative offers from Hollywood, Hurley has firmly opted to stay in Connecticut. The magic of the NCAA is such that even Adrian Wojnarowski is going back to college!

The legendary analyst, known for his unique NBA insights and the face of basketball at ESPN, has moved on from the job. Instead of being the kind of famous not many reporters get the chance to be, Woj is going back to his alma mater. The job description? The general manager of the men’s basketball team at St. Bonaventure University. After seven years of analyzing the game of pros, Wojnarowski is going to use his knowledge in managing college basketball in New York.

Much like UConn’s own Dan Hurley, who reportedly turned down $70 million from the Los Angeles Lakers and has opted to stay with the Huskies. And this big move, in addition to his crowning achievements, has drawn the attention of Sports Illustrated. The publication recently released its 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL FIGURES IN SPORTS list. And apart from athletes, Dan Hurley has found a special mention among the coaches.

“Hurley opted to stay with the Huskies for less than half that sum, setting himself up to build a dynasty in Storrs and become the face of men’s college basketball,” writes Kevin Sweeney of SI. With four Tournament appearances and two wins in six years, the Huskies are now looking for a three-peat. And after back-to-back wins in 2023 and 2024, Hurley is not ready to switch jobs just yet. After the team fired Darvin Ham, Hurley seemed like the natural choice to bring to Hollywood. But the UConn HC, who signed a six-year extension with the Huskies, politely turned them down.

Woj also followed in these footsteps today. “I am retiring from a dream job at ESPN and am so incredibly grateful for my time and experiences with the Worldwide Leader,” the sports columnist revealed. He later added, “I’m thrilled and humbled to return to St. Bonaventure with an opportunity to serve the university.”

The ex-ESPN analyst and the coach will serve two schools in two different ways. While Woj goes into management, what was it exactly that made Hurley stay at UConn despite LA’s offer?

Dan Hurley wants to shape young men’s lives

As Head Coach, Dan Hurley has more control over the Huskies than anyone else. Giving up that control might be hard to do in an environment that’s completely new. Additionally, as Hurley put it, he wants to be present in the last stage of a young man’s life before real life comes knocking.

“I love being a part of this transformation for the last point in a young man’s life where you can really have a big impact on how their life is going to play out. Like what the man becomes. That, to me, was what I realized that I love about being a college coach that you don’t get to do as an NBA coach because that’s not the relationship there,” he said per Lakers Nation.

Los Angeles ultimately went with JJ Redick, who made it clear that he was not ‘offended’ by the Lakers’ decision to go with Dan Hurley first. In a world that seems more driven by passion than money, what else can one hope for but a continued love for basketball?!