Eye On College Basketball: “UConn Boss Dan Hurley was THIS CLOSE to retiring this summer”

Date: October 21, 2025
Hosts: Gary Parrish & Matt Norlander
Guest: Dan Hurley (UConn Head Coach)

Episode Overview

In this candid conversation, UConn head coach Dan Hurley opens up with Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander about the intense journey of the past year, his new book Never Stop, and how close he came to walking away from college basketball after a taxing season. Hurley discusses vulnerability, his coaching philosophy, struggles with public and media perception, and what’s ahead for his UConn Huskies, including lineup insights and why the coming season’s non-conference schedule is the toughest he’s ever faced.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Book "Never Stop" and Hurley’s Motivation to Write It

Timestamps: 00:14–03:45

• Intentional Timing & Openness: Hurley shares that he wanted to write "Never Stop" while still active in coaching, as opposed to waiting until retirement:

  “...what I tried to do was, while still being pretty actively, as a... in the sports world, doing something that's pretty honest and open...” (00:39, Dan Hurley)

• Personal Impact: The book covers personal and professional struggles—mental health, marriage, and career challenges:

  “It's not just something where it's like some money grab... there’s a lot of really personal family, career, professional development struggles in there that I wanted to share with people.” (02:28, Dan Hurley)

• Response & Outreach: Hurley notes heartfelt responses from readers going through their own struggles, validating the effort.

2. The Temptation to Retire: Burnout and Introspection

Timestamps: 03:45–06:01

• Tough Year & Near Retirement: Hurley admits he considered stepping away from coaching, describing feeling burned out and emotionally spent after a particularly difficult season and public incident:

  “...I did think about taking a gap year or just, you know, being done with it.” (03:57, Dan Hurley) “...for a couple days minimum... It was serious, like, do I need to step away?” (04:17–04:38, Dan Hurley)

• Public Mistake & Aftermath: Hurley is blunt about an incident after their last game that overshadowed previous successes:

  “...all the attention was on the jackass that I acted like in the tunnel. And I think all those things combined to put me in a state where I had to consider, you know, what I wanted to do next.” (05:32, Dan Hurley)

• No Victimhood:

  “I'm not a victim. We got enough victims in the world. You know, I did it to myself and I did it throughout the year.” (05:29, Dan Hurley)

3. Coaching Style: Evolution or the Same Hurley?

Timestamps: 06:01–08:23

• Consistency & Self-Work: Hurley says he won’t fundamentally change on the sidelines but has reconnected with his values and recognizes where he needs to improve, especially regarding interactions post-game:

  “No, you’ll see the same... There's always going to be a life or death urgency to your pursuit of championships and greatness and excellence... But also while that's going on, enjoying the relationships, getting the most out of your team.” (06:16–06:36, Dan Hurley) “If I can avoid the fan stuff at the end, that's... I would like that.” (07:59, Dan Hurley)

• On Handling the Tunnel/Fan Confrontations:

  “Not like when a fan's yelling at you in the tunnel—even as obscene as it is... Just go in the locker room, man. You know, just get to the locker room.” (08:40, Dan Hurley)

4. Hurley’s Relationship with the Media

Timestamps: 09:15–12:02

• Navigating Criticism: Hurley accepts criticism, especially as a high-profile, successful coach, but acknowledges the performative aspect of media coverage:

  “...the critiques and the criticism, they go with the territory. You know, when you become a two-time national champion... being highly critical is part of what the media is looking for—to produce something that's going to be viral-worthy...” (10:05, Dan Hurley)

• Intensity is Part of Sports: He argues that the passion (sometimes veering into confrontation) is what fans demand:

  “...sports is only great... when you have intense, really, really intense people participating in it... That's what makes sports great...” (11:20, Dan Hurley)

5. Team Outlook and Player Discussion

Timestamps: 12:02–17:08

• Preseason Polls: Hurley is unfazed about UConn being ranked below St. John’s or others:

  “Preseason polls I find to be maybe the most meaningless things. Right. That awards. Sure. Polls, they tend to be pretty meaningless. My 23 team was not ranked in the preseason.” (12:42, Dan Hurley)

• Roster Depth & Talent:

  • Big Three: Alex “Solo” Ball, Taris, and Caravan (“AK”) are central to this year’s team.
  • Solomon Ball’s Growth:

    “Alex has looked like we thought he would look... there's a maturity, there's like a man thing about him right now.” (13:50, Dan Hurley)

  • Improvement Needed:

    “Can we fix the defense? Because we're going to be better offensively than last year. But... Solo... did not defend well last year and our perimeter defense was total crap.” (14:57, Dan Hurley)

• Deep Rotation: Hurley expects to use a 9-to-10-man rotation, much like his deep Rhode Island teams:

  “...we were able to play nine or ten deep that year...” (15:12, Dan Hurley)

• Braylon Mullins’ Expectations: Mullins won’t have the pressure of past freshmen; he’ll be part of a balanced rotation:

  “He's... surrounded and insulated with all types of production and veteran players... you're going to see a cluster of players that all take pressure off of each other.” (16:08, Dan Hurley)

6. Toughest Non-Conference Schedule

Timestamps: 17:08–18:33

• Why the Brutal Schedule: Hurley embraces a gauntlet of high-level opponents (BYU, Illinois, Kansas, Florida, Texas, Arizona, etc.) as a sign he believes in his team:

  “...this is, this is a team... you believe that the team's got the requisite characteristics to fix the defense and the depth to go the distance.” (17:47, Dan Hurley)

• No Cupcakes, No Maui: Joking that, unlike previous years, none of these games are in Hawaii, and referencing past tournament chaos:

  “Masterpiece of insanity in Maui. Oppenheimer.” (19:11, Dan Hurley)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On considering retirement:

  “I did think about taking a gap year or just, you know, being done with it.” — Dan Hurley (03:57)

• On his hardest moments last season:

  “...all the attention was on the jackass that I acted like in the tunnel.” — Dan Hurley (05:29)

• On coaching style:

  “No, you’ll see the same...” — Dan Hurley (06:16)

• On intense coaching personalities:

  “...sports is only great... when you have intense, really, really intense people participating in it...” — Dan Hurley (11:20)

• On preseason polls:

  “Preseason polls I find to be maybe the most meaningless things.” — Dan Hurley (12:42)

• On defensive priorities:

  “Our perimeter defense was total crap.” — Dan Hurley (14:57)

• On the tough schedule:

  “You want to know how a coach feels about his team, you look at what they do in the non conference. I think this is objectively the toughest non conference schedule of any team in the country going into the season.” — Host (17:39)

Highlighted Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:14–03:45: Book motivations and journey
• 03:45–06:01: Burnout, the urge to retire, and post-season reflections
• 06:01–08:23: Sideline demeanor and personal improvements
• 09:15–12:02: Relationship with media and public criticism
• 12:02–17:08: Team outlook, depth, and player assessments
• 17:08–18:33: Non-conference schedule and competitive philosophy

Summary

This episode delivers a revealing look at Dan Hurley’s mindset during one of his most tumultuous and introspective offseasons. Hurley acknowledges both his triumphs and flaws, details the personal cost of high-level coaching, and lays out why he’s excited for another demanding run with a deep and talented UConn roster. The episode balances frankness with humor, and Hurley’s candor offers a rare peek behind the championship banners.