“That Euphoria Doesn’t Last Very Long” 2x NCAA Champion Dan Hurley Reflects on Back-to-Back Wins

Dan Hurley has done something with his UConn Huskies that only a handful of coaches have done in NCAA history. It is not just about winning consecutive National Championships after almost two decades but also about proving their worth. This very team, with a few changes, left the Big Dance early two years back. But they have turned things around since. They reigned over the other teams in the regular season, in the Big East conference, and were the only first-seed team in the bracket to have these titles this year. With so much power in one hand, what does it make the brains behind the strategy feel?

JJ Redick reminded the Huskies head coach what Bobby Bowden, one of the greatest football coaches, had told a reporter. The quote goes, “I’ve been up on that mountain top and there ain’t nothing there.” Reflecting on these words by the late FSU coach and UConn’s back-to-back wins, Dan Hurley commented, “Just for me, I think it’s different.” Hurley talked about how his father’s accomplishments as a high school head coach and his brother Bobby Hurley’s achievements as a player affect his perspective as a 2x championship-winning coach.

He continued, “That Euphoria doesn’t last very long. There is a high no doubt that lasts a couple of days. Then you may feel it intermittently when you head to the White House or you do some type of parade.” Hurley answered the question about the quote, saying, “What you do discover at the top of the mountain was that you are about to work that you love. The work is the reward.”

The UConn coach added that he now feels differently about the team and the players. Certainly, he feels love and adulation about the staff and the players and confessed that he will always think back to this batch when thinking about the achievement. But why is the coach, whom most people think is demanding, so emotional about this win?

What the win means for the “distant third” Dan Hurley

No one is a stranger to the dominance and legacy of the Hurley family in basketball. Hence, it is normal for a second child to feel the pressure of being Bobby Hurley’s son. Despite bringing in a lot of victories as a player and as a coach, Dan Hurley admits that he has never really felt like a part of the family in terms of success. Hence, making a name by being the coach who brought consecutive victories hits differently for him.

Sharing his thoughts, he said, “I had done some really good to great things as a player and as a coach. But I hadn’t had that career-defining elite championship moment. I’ve always been the third Hurley and a distant third. So, for me in a way, I’ve been a lot lighter since we won it the first time.”

It seems to be quite an important win for Dan Hurley to set his record straight in the family. Along with his win, and being a part of the roster, Dan’s son Andrew Hurley is also a 2x National Champion now. Clearly, they have their family tree all set.