Owner Jeanie Buss stands at the top of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise. While GM Rob Pelinka handles all things basketball-related, Buss has the final say in all important decisions, and the two are always on one accord.
The Lakers had a long search for a new head coach and have finally decided on JJ Redick to lead the team, though not before making a very strong pursuit of UConn head coach Dan Hurley. He would ultimately decline the Lakers’ contract offer and stay in college to lead the Huskies, something that did not make Buss happy.
According to Jovan Buha, Sam Amick and Shams Charania of The Athletic, Buss was a big fan of Hurley and was ‘genuinely disappointed’ that he declined the Lakers’ offer to become their next head coach:
This much is clear, though: When it came to the Lakers’ ultimate decision-maker, Jeanie Buss, team sources said she was highly motivated to make Hurley their next coach and was genuinely disappointed when the attempt fell short.
The desire and push for Hurley make a ton of sense, as he has been extremely successful at the collegiate level and wants to be an NBA coach at some point. Jeanie Buss wants the Lakers to be back at the top of the NBA world, and she and the rest of the franchise felt Hurley was someone who could lead them there. However, he simply didn’t want to leave where he was comfortable.
Now, the focus turns to Redick, who certainly has fans within the organization as well. With his strong work ethic and high basketball IQ, he has a lot of potential as a coach. Hurley may have been the first choice for Buss and others, but that doesn’t mean the Lakers got it wrong in hiring Redick.
What’s most important is that everyone is on the same page in their desire for the Lakers to win at the highest level and that is definitely the case.
Dan Hurley didn’t want to lose control he has at UConn for Lakers job
For a coach like Dan Hurley, he has everything he wants at his current job with UConn. A main difference between college and NBA is the level of control a coach can have and Hurley has complete control with the Huskies, something he didn’t want to give up.
Hurley recently spoke on this, feeling he would’ve worked great with Rob Pelinka and the Lakers, but didn’t want to give up the level of control he has at UConn. No matter how attractive and NBA job is, there is a level of uncertainty that comes with it and it is undoubtedly the safer option for Hurley to stay where he is.