The Los Angeles Lakers made a strong pursuit of UConn head coach Dan Hurley to become the franchise’s next head coach. Unfortunately, despite their strong interest, Hurley ultimately chose to turn down the Lakers offer and return to UConn for a chance at a third straight NCAA National Championship.
Hurley had not been mentioned early on in the Lakers’ coaching search but emerged as the team’s top candidate and the franchise did not move lightly. In fact, the team’s offer to Hurley would have made him one of the highest paid coaches in the NBA.
According to Dan Woike of the L.A. Times, the Lakers offered Hurley a six-year deal worth $70 million, but it wasn’t enough as he still chose to return to UConn:
Can confirm Woj report that the Lakers offered 6 yrs/$70 million to Dan Hurley. Still waiting on in-house confirmation that the Lakers have been inform of Hurley's decision, but obviously, a big blow after the team made a strong push for the 2x defending championship coach
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) June 10, 2024
At $11.6 million annually, the Lakers would have made Hurley the fifth-highest paid head coach in the NBA. Only Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors, Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs, Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat and Monty Williams of the Detroit Pistons are currently paid more. And three of those four are multi-time championship coaches and considered some of the greatest in NBA history.
The offer was well short of the $100 million that was reported originally, however.
Ultimately, the money and new challenge of coaching in the NBA with the most prestigious franchise in the league wasn’t enough to sway Hurley, who will now likely receive another raise from UConn as this surely won’t be the last offer he receives from an NBA team over the next few years, especially if his success at the collegiate level continues.
For the Lakers, they must nowresume their head coach search, almost certainly with the same familiar candidates who were at the top of their list prior to Hurley’s emergence in JJ Redick and James Borrego.
Lakers pursued former Villanova coach Jay Wright?
Dan Hurley may not have been the only collegiate head coach the Lakers took a look at either with a name that had been mentioned in past head coaching searches being mentioned as a minor possibility as well.
A recent report noted that former Villanova head coach Jay Wright may be a stealth candidate for the Lakers job, though it looks as if nothing will come of that in the end.
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