The Best of The Dan Patrick Show

Summary

The Dan Patrick Show: Best Of (April 9, 2026)

Episode Overview

This “Best Of” edition of The Dan Patrick Show blends Dan Patrick’s trademark blend of humor, sports insight, and A-list guests from the sports and entertainment world. The episode dives deep into the Masters with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt, covers baseball trends and Otani’s impact with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, and examines the evolving landscape of college basketball and NIL with UConn championship coach Dan Hurley.

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1. Scott Van Pelt: Masters Excitement & Golf Culture

[02:20 – 08:09]

Highlights:

• Giddy for Masters Par 3

  • Dan notes how animated Van Pelt is about covering the Par 3 contest, emphasizing the unique family vibe.

    “You were giddy with the par three yesterday. That, that, that's, that's one of those. They don't have to pay you to do that one.” – Dan Patrick (02:20)

  • Scott agrees, noting the fun and “blast” of Wednesday’s Par 3 day at Augusta, highlighting seeing players evolve and bring children.

    “There's a balance, Dan, that you just don't want to get too over the top ... seeing guys, especially guys that like Justin Thomas and Speith ... they all spoke to it. It's a different lens now with kids.” – Scott Van Pelt (02:37)

• Scheffler vs. The Field Parallels to Tiger

  • Dan and Scott riff on Scheffler’s dominance and the rare “vs. the field” discussion, reminiscent of peak Tiger Woods.

    “Did you think in your lifetime that we would be asking that question of Scheffler versus the field like we did with Tiger?” – Dan Patrick (06:20)
    “...when you look at some of the numbers, you're like, they can be comparable. So no, I didn't think we'd find a guy [like that].” – Scott Van Pelt (06:30)

• Golf Lingo at Augusta

  • Charming banter on needing to remember Augusta-specific terminology like "patrons" instead of "gallery," and the fun of adopting event-specific language.

    “There's the second nine. There's the second cut... I would call it the last game off, because they don't call them groups there. They call them games. I don't find it to be a chore...” – Scott Van Pelt (05:44)

• Personal Anecdotes & Augusta Mystique

  • Dan recounts sneaking a divot home in Tupperware, leading to a running joke about Augusta’s sacred grass.

    “...my wife goes, what's in the Tupperware? I said, oh, that's turf from Augusta. And she goes, do they know you took it? No.” – Dan Patrick (05:05 + 05:17)

• Producer Tributes

  • Scott delivers touching words to Dan’s team, particularly Seton, highlighting the loyalty at the heart of the show.

    “Your show is great because of you, but your show is great because of your folks and the loyalty of your folks. Seton being, you know, chief among them, is admirable to me...” – Scott Van Pelt (07:23)

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2. Dave Roberts: Baseball’s Changing Landscape

[12:06 – 21:36]

Highlights:

• Masters at Augusta from a Baseball Skipper’s View

  • Roberts describes playing Augusta twice and shooting “89 and 86” from the member tees

    “I've played there twice, and it's the experience is unlike any other.” – Dave Roberts (12:24)
    “[I] shot 89 and 86... I played for the member tees. Yeah, that's right.” – Dave Roberts (12:41-12:53)

• Automated Balls & Strikes (ABS) Impact

  • Roberts admits ABS might be “a little bit too perfect,” but ultimately, “the umpiring for me is getting better... no one wants to be embarrassed, so they bear down more.”

    “It might be a little bit too perfect in the sense of, you know, a centimeter changes a call, but I do think that it makes the umpires... bear down more.” – Dave Roberts (13:43)

• Appeal Strategy

  • Roberts details the tactical approach Dodgers are taking, letting catcher Will Smith often make in-game decisions.

• Baseball’s Evolving Strike Zone

  • Reflection on how personalized strike zones have shifted due to technology, analytics, and social media:

    “With social media, with analytics... everything is more precise and I think that's good. You don't want to lose a human element with the umpires... But ... the integrity of the game should be.” – Dave Roberts (14:57)

• Treating Players as Individuals

  • When asked about managing personalities, Roberts is clear: stars are earned individual treatment.

    “You don't treat them the same, but you treat them fairly... when you're Freddie Freeman, you get treated differently than Alex Freeland... Those things are earned.” – Dave Roberts (16:51)

• Unique Players: The Sound of Greatness

  • Dan and Dave discuss the “different sound” off the bats of stars like Shohei Ohtani and Miguel Cabrera.

    “When Shohei hits a baseball, it's a different sound.” – Dave Roberts (17:28)
    “Miguel Cabrera ... when that dude hit a baseball, it was a different sound.” – Dave Roberts (17:28)

• Starting Pitchers Going Deeper

  • Roberts feels baseball is returning to valuing “length” from starters, sharing how he has managed Yamamoto differently for adaptation and postseason push.

    “You're seeing that more, I think across baseball as well, not just... with our guys.” – Dave Roberts (17:59)

• Analytics, Batting Average, and Big Moments

  • Dan probes if the “all or nothing” swing is still a thing; Roberts values batting average and situational hitting, especially in “the biggest moments.”

    “I've always valued batting average...the biggest moments in a postseason game, you want hits... But in our game, that's valued most in the postseason, but it's somehow been devalued in the season. I've never been a fan of that type of hitter.” – Dave Roberts (19:18)

• Player and Manager Relationships

  • On fair treatment and personal career highlights, including the refusal to rewatch his winning Game 7 in full.

    “I haven't watched Game 7 in its entirety ever... for fear that the result might change.” – Dave Roberts (20:21)

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3. Dan Hurley: Navigating College Basketball’s New Reality

[24:31 – 38:47]

Highlights:

• Emotional Recovery and Reflections on Season’s End

  • Coach Hurley shares about the demanding nature of deep tournament runs, feeling “proud more than sad” after season’s close.

    “You recover a little more physically, emotionally each day... proud is kind of overriding disappointment and sad maybe.” – Dan Hurley (24:37, 25:26)

• Game Analysis and Missed Opportunities

  • Hurley breaks down UConn’s loss:

    “We had 22 offensive rebounds... If you would have said that before the game, you’d probably lean towards we're winning this game.” – Dan Patrick (27:16)

• Referees and High-Level Tournament Officiating

  • Hurley compliments the top-tier officials in late NCAA rounds, notes a few missed calls but gives Michigan credit for their championship run.

    “You get the best officials... Not a perfect situation. Michigan was the best team in the country – the whole year.” – Dan Hurley (28:29)

• NIL, Transfer Portal, and Advising Players

  • Candid discussion on how NIL money changes incentives and career decisions:

    “The biggest mistake... you can make right now as a college basketball player is going to the draft too early and not staying long enough in college because of the money situation.” – Dan Hurley (29:45)

  • Hurley’s process for advising Braylon Mullins:

    “Do you like college? ... players like Braylon probably make more money at UConn next year than he would if he was the 15th pick.” – Dan Hurley (30:43)

• Recruiting, Retention, and Future of Roster Construction

  • Hurley breaks down the “crossroads” for college coaches:

    “Do we try to hold the line and just go retention, high school recruiting... or wipe the board every year and try to put together the most talented team?” – Dan Hurley (32:43)

• Chaos of Modern Offseason

  • Coaching is now dwarfed in stress by roster management, NIL, and the transfer portal; Hurley wishes for NCAA programs to operate like NBA front offices.

    “I think college programs... we got to start being run like an NBA organization or a pro sports organization.” – Dan Hurley (34:04)

• Players’ NIL Wealth

  • Dan jokes about players’ cars; Hurley admits some players now lease Teslas and BMWs.

    “Yeah, I mean, I started to see the Teslas and the BMWs... I'm a Ford guy, I got my Ford Raptor truck.” – Dan Hurley (35:01)

• Tampering and the “Wild West”

  • Hurley addresses the rampant tampering by programs and agents around transfer and coaching moves, reflecting on his own principled approach at Rhode Island.

    “I don't know how you could do that as a coach and then come in and look at your team and then be upset with the players... you have to have some honor with the way that you move and the decisions that you make with your career.” – Dan Hurley (37:37)

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Notable Quotes

• On Augusta Mystique:

  "I brought [a divot] back, and my wife goes, what's in the Tupperware? I said, oh, that's turf from Augusta. And she goes, do they know you took it? I go, no." – Dan Patrick (05:03)

• On Loyalty:

  "Your show is great because of you, but your show is great because of your folks and the loyalty of your folks. Seton being, you know, chief among them is admirable to me." – Scott Van Pelt (07:23)

• On Analytics and Batting Average:

  "Biggest moments in a postseason game, you want hits... But in our game, that's valued most in the postseason, but somehow been devalued in the season." – Dave Roberts (19:18)

• On College Basketball & NIL:

  "The biggest mistake...you can make right now as a college basketball player is going to the draft too early and not staying long enough in college because of the money situation." – Dan Hurley (29:45)

• On Offseason Chaos:

  “Coaching is the least stressful part now... I think college programs... we got to start being run like an NBA organization or a pro sports organization.” – Dan Hurley (34:57)

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Key Timestamps

• [02:20] – Scott Van Pelt joins to discuss the Masters and golf traditions
• [06:20] – Parallels between Scheffler and Tiger; Masters dominance
• [07:23] – Van Pelt pays tribute to Seton and the DP Show crew
• [12:06] – Dave Roberts interview begins (baseball, Masters, ABS)
• [16:35] – Ohtani, Yamamoto, and treating players individually
• [19:18] – Analytic trends and “true outcome” hitting
• [24:31] – Dan Hurley on recovery post-championship and emotional takeaways
• [29:45] – Advice to players considering NBA vs. NIL benefits
• [32:43] – Transfer portal, recruiting, and the future of rosters
• [34:57] – College coaching’s evolving “front office” demands

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Tone & Style

• Conversational, Insightful, and Candid:
  Dan Patrick guides guests into honest, entertaining, and often self-deprecating stories; the guests match the tone with openness and humor.
• Wide-Ranging Yet Focused:
  The show moves seamlessly from sports event coverage, to in-depth coaching strategy, to behind-the-scenes culture, offering value for both dedicated fans and casual listeners alike.

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Summary

This Best Of podcast offers a true 360-degree look at the culture and characters surrounding contemporary American sports. Dan Patrick brings out the humor, wisdom, and humanity in his guests—whether it’s Scott Van Pelt’s affection for the Masters, Dave Roberts’ deep baseball insight, or Dan Hurley’s candid reflection on the changing college basketball universe. It’s essential listening for fans who want more than just scores and stats—they get context, personality, and candor.

Transcript

[Dan Hurling]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Dan Patrick]

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[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio.

[Dan Patrick]

Scott Van pelt, busy man. SportsCenter anchor. Listened to a lot of the par three yesterday with Scotty. I've known you a long time. You were giddy with the par three yesterday. That, that, that's, that's one of those. They don't have to pay you to do that one.

[Scott Van Pelt]

I'm gonna let them know. Just, you know, I'm gonna let them. But you're right. It's. Look, it's a feeling and there's a balance, Dan, that you just don't want to get too over the top. Right? I mean, I always feel like a spoonful of sugar is sweet and if you put to, you know, not a sprinkle rather than spoonfuls and the feeling of family and seeing guys, especially guys that like Justin Thomas and Speed, guys that I knew when they were younger and didn't have kids and they all spoke to it. It's a different lens now with kids. And so, I don't know, it's a blast. Wednesday feels different. And then it's go time today, and it's, it's a very different feeling to be live coverage.

[Dan Patrick]

First and second rounds of the Masters this afternoon, three Eastern on the Mothership. Also, four days of live featured group coverage as well, all on the ESPN app. If I said you could have Scheffler versus the field or Oklahoma City versus the field,

[Scott Van Pelt]

I think, wow, that's a great, great question. I want, I guess I take Oklahoma City because I think that the list of people that can win this week is more broad. Scotty, now Sunday, when his name's up there and he's too clear of everybody and, and we're just go see the chairman and Jim, I'd feel like a bozo because he's got that capability here for sure. But I, I just have a sneaking suspicion this week that the, the, the field and the lens is broader than we've had in years past here.

[Dan Patrick]

Where are you right now? For those watching on Peacock or NBC Sports Network, I, I was trying to

[Scott Van Pelt]

find a suitable backdrop. I'm in this beautiful facility that Augusta national built that's sort of a, a, it's ESPN sort of production site, if you will. And it's this, it was one of those things like everything here that didn't exist. And then we showed up one year and here's this perfect building and the lawns are manicured. It's preposterous. You know, I, I wish more than it is, more than anything I just wish I could find the. The. The lawn and whatever folks that they've gotten involved and I'd pay them handsomely. Right. As is our space. But I'm. I'm adjacent to the grounds. I'll be heading up to. To the do live from the Masters

[Dan Patrick]

in just a bit. I took a divot home with me in. In a. In a Tupperware container when I played there.

[Scott Van Pelt]

Did you plan it?

[Dan Patrick]

Yes, I did it. It didn't work, but I. I brought it back, and my wife goes, what's in the Tupperware? I said, oh, that's turf from Augusta. And she goes, do they know you took it? I go, no.

[Scott Van Pelt]

Little late for them. The statute of limitations is to run out. It's sacred ground.

[Dan Patrick]

Right?

[Scott Van Pelt]

I mean, it's. You have to give it a shot.

[Dan Hurling]

It would have been.

[Scott Van Pelt]

It would have been awesome if you had, like, this one stretch of grass in your yard that was better than all the rest. And you say, that's from Augusta. No big deal.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. You cover golf, but then there's golf terminology at Augusta that you got to do a refresher. So, you know, like, what happens if you say, boy, what a gallery?

[Scott Van Pelt]

I mean, I don't think anything bad would happen. I'm not. I'm not going to find out otherwise. I mean, it's. It's become second nature. There are patrons. There's the second nine. There's the second cut. But honestly, like, when I would go to do the Open Championship, Dan, I call it the Open Championship, not the British Open, because that's what they call it. And I would call it the last game off, because they don't call them groups there. They call them games. I don't find it to be a chore to. To use the lingo that is sort of. It becomes second nature, I think, much like second nine and second cut.

[Dan Patrick]

Did you think in your lifetime that we would be asking that question of Scheffler versus the field like we did with Tiger? No.

[Scott Van Pelt]

Oh, and that's. That's. That's an amazing credit to Scotty. What. What's fascinating about him, though, Dan, is that he's just having his appetite to win. I. I find that really endearing. And it's. It's. It's just. It's wild to me, you know, his faith, his family. That's. That's his real. His real driving force of his. Of his life. And it's not that he's indifferent to wanting to be great. He really wants to be, but he does it in a way that isn't as, doesn't feel as dominating as Tiger. And yet when you look at some of the numbers, you're like, they're, they're, they can be comparable. So no, I, I didn't think we'd find a guy and when he announced him, I didn't think he would be at the personality traits of Scotty.

[Dan Patrick]

I know that you got to go. You got a tight schedule, but you wanted to say something about Seaton to Seaton before you go.

[Scott Van Pelt]

I do well to Seton and to you and to your whole crew. You know, I do a show where I sit out there by myself. No show is a one man show. And your show is great because of you, but your show is great because of your folks and the loyalty of your folks. Seton being, you know, chief among them is admirable to me. You've seen your awesome, whatever you do. I know you said you're not leaving the house, just going to build a new wing. So the wing will be great. And I just want to wish you and all of the, all of your crew the very best. But I just, I admire the loyalty and the love and that's been part of the Dan Patrick show forever. And Seton, you're a huge part of it. If my wi fi sucks, I'm sorry. I hope you can hear this, but salute to you, my man.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you, Scotty. We'll be, we'll be watching today.

[Scott Van Pelt]

Thank you, brother.

[Dan Patrick]

That's Scott Van Pelt.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Fox Sports Radio is taking over YouTube and you can be a part of it. Just go to YouTube and search Fox Sports Radio. Hit that subscribe button and smash that notification bell and catch all the videos from your favorite shows. Two pros and a cup of Joe. Dan Patrick, Colin Cowherd, Stu Gotz and company Live, Covino and Rich, the Odd Couple with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington, the Jason Smith show with Mike Harmon and the Ben Ma show. Fox sports radio on YouTube.

[Dan Patrick]

Subscribe hit that thumbs up icon and comment away.

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[Dave Roberts]

I. I'm actually going to play contractor tomorrow in. In Cardiff. We're doing a whole, like, landscape, outdoor situation. I just want to kind of see what's going on, but usually I play golf. That's what I'll typically do.

[Dan Patrick]

All right. Like, for the Masters. Have you played Augusta?

[Dave Roberts]

I cannot. I. I've played there twice, and it's. It's. The experience is unlike any other. So, yeah, I've been very, very fortunate, and I cannot wait for this week. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, how did you play it, Augusta? Do you want to give me your score?

[Dave Roberts]

I shot 89 and 86.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Dave Roberts]

So respectable.

[Dan Patrick]

Did you play from the member tips at all, like on 18?

[Dave Roberts]

No, I played for. No, I played for the member team.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, member tees. Okay.

[Dave Roberts]

Yeah, that's right. That's right. I. Yeah, I did. That's. That's. That's my admission, but I feel that's all right.

[Dan Patrick]

I went all the way back on 18, and. And it feels like those trees are growing as when you're on the tee, like, they get tighter and tighter. But we went all the way back. There's a couple of them you can play all the way back, but 18. And I said, let's do it. Let's see. But it's. It's a lot hillier than what you think.

[Dave Roberts]

So did you. Did you get into the fairway off 18 from the tips?

[Dan Patrick]

I did off to the left, but. Well, short of the bunker on the left, and ended up bogeying, you know, but. But, you know, I. We had fun.

[Dave Roberts]

That's a. That's a good bogey from the tips from, from that. That's a good bogey.

[Dan Patrick]

What do you think of abs so far?

[Dave Roberts]

I like it. I think it's good. You know, it might be a little bit too perfect in the sense of, you know, a centimeter changes a call, but I do think that it makes the umpires. The umpiring for me is getting better, and I think that that's whether they agree with that or not, because they don't want, no one wants to be embarrassed. And so they bear down more and I think that's better for the game.

[Dan Patrick]

How do you develop a strategy for appealing or is there a strategy?

[Dave Roberts]

You know what, we've done a good job of like just talking about it. We've, you know, we get our front office, we get our hitting guys, our veteran guys are hitting guys, players just talking about leverage. And I think the thing is, is that is just trying to figure out what is leverage, when to use it. And I think that for the run prevention side, we give it to the catcher. And Will's been great, Will Smith has been great. And then I think it's just, it's also helped our hitters kind of really understanding the hitting zone, the strike zone, they're more in tune with it now.

[Dan Patrick]

How did we get to this point where umpires were given their own strike zone? Dave?

[Dave Roberts]

Well, yeah, I don't want to throw anybody under the bus, but Lavon Hernandez behind the plate, history might have been changed. You know, I, I think that the way that the game used to be, where it was like, you know, you're Maddox or Glavin and whoever, you know, any great pitcher, right, that has command, you're getting three, four or five inches off the plate. And as a run young rookie, they're like, hey man, he's going to get that pitch, you better swing the bat. I think, I think that with social media, you know, with everything, with analytics, like, everything is more precise and I think that's good. You know, you don't want to lose a human element with the umpires, which I think they get defensive of, which I get. But I think at the end of the day, people want to get the calls right and that's what the integrity of the game should be.

[Dan Patrick]

Talking to Dave Roberts Dodger Manager how important is this Cy Young to show, hey, Ohtani.

[Dave Roberts]

Extremely, you know, and I, and I would, you know, love to know. I mean, I think that with Shohei, he's done everything, you know, on the field, he's carried not single handedly, but almost single handedly. You know, the game of baseball as far as domestic, you know, international, being the face of the, of the game, that's something he hasn't done. And also Yamamoto, his, his teammate and countryman, you know, that's something that one of those guys, I'm sure both those guys want to be the first Japanese born player, you know, to win a cyan.

[Dan Patrick]

The coach, manager. There are coaches who say, hey, I don't treat everybody the Same or managers. I don't treat everybody the same. What do you subscribe to? They're all individuals. I treat them as individuals or, you know, it's a team.

[Dave Roberts]

I, I, I, I guess the easiest way to put it is you definitely treat them as individuals. You don't treat them the same, but you treat them fairly. And that's, and what that, and obviously, you know, Dan, what that means is when you're Freddie Freeman, you get treated differently than Alex Freeland, and when you're Clayton Kershaw, you get treated differently than Emmett Sheehan. And that's the way it should be. Those things are earned.

[Dan Patrick]

The sound off of SH Otani's bat, like, there's certain sounds in baseball. Can you think of another player? When you have Cabrera, it just sounded different.

[Dave Roberts]

It sounded different. Miguel Cabrera. That's, that's the guy for me, that when that dude hit a baseball, it was a different sound. But yes, when showy hits a baseball, it's a different sound.

[Dan Patrick]

I thought Jock Peterson had that sound too. Like, it was like, wow, it's love

[Dave Roberts]

coming off his bat too. Absolutely.

[Dan Patrick]

Explain the Yamamoto, you know, pitching deep into games now, the rare occurrence playoffs last year, like, that's an anomaly. We don't see that anymore.

[Dave Roberts]

Yeah, I think we're starting to get back to that now, which is a good thing, I think, in baseball, you know, you know, the last couple years, last year in particular, I think that, you know, I think organization wide, industry wide, starting to, you know, again, value length of a starting pitcher and you know, understanding the value that it, the tax of pulling guys shorter, not letting them go longer, trying to protect the starter and say bullets, but has a cost with relievers, you know, and, and not having your best pitcher essentially out mound, taking down more outs. I think Yamamoto's first year, he was cutting his teeth in the States. I, I kind of played him short because I wanted him to end with success and, you know, get confidence and pushed him a little bit more in the postseason. And then last year, if you look at his usage, I pushed him a little bit more, extend him in the postseason. And yeah, and I think that's, that's, I think you're, you're seeing that more, I think across baseball as well, not just, you know, with our guys.

[Dan Patrick]

With you. Are you defying analytics?

[Dave Roberts]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Are you doing that hitting, what is it still a all or nothing at the plate analytics?

[Dave Roberts]

No, it's not. And I think that the team that we're playing right now did a, did a. Is A good case study. And you know, slugging when you're trying to slug, checking down and hitting with two strikes, heading to the opposite field. The Blue Jays and I've always valued batting average. Freddie Freeman is, you know, probably my favorite player I've ever coached with everything in total of what he does and he values batting average and, you know, the biggest moments in a postseason game, you want hits and to be able to drive in a run. But in our game, the, the, so that's valued most in the postseason, but it's somehow been devalued in the season. The batting average, the runs batted in. So I've always advocate of that and I don't like the, the three. What is it? Probable outcomes or things like that, that kind of, I've never been a fan of that type of hitter.

[Dan Patrick]

When's the last time you lost? When's the last time you watched Game seven of the World Series?

[Dave Roberts]

You know, just recently, I, I, I did a podcast with passing with John Schneider, but, but that was kind of snippets, but I, I haven't DP I haven't watched game 7 in its entirety ever. And I just really don't have any interest. I mean, series. Very fortunate, but maybe I guess for fear that the result might change.

[Dan Patrick]

How have the Blue Jays treated you?

[Dave Roberts]

Great. You know, I, I guess when you're booed, that's a good thing. But the, but I love Canadian people. I, I just, the Canadians are very good people. I, I think that the World Series, the Blue Jays have been great for the country of Canada. I love coming north of the border and I love Toronto. It's freezing here, but fortunately we have the Rogers Center. We have a dome. But I love Canada.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, if you came out and they started applauding you, that probably would have meant, hey, thank you for giving us the world. We got the World Series. So they only fair.

[Dave Roberts]

Totally fair. Yes, you're right.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, you want to get the most compliment.

[Dave Roberts]

You're right.

[Dan Patrick]

DP yeah, you're doing something right. Safe travels as always. Thanks for spending some time.

[Dave Roberts]

All right, D.P. take care. We'll talk soon.

[Dan Patrick]

Dodger manager Dave Roberts speaking to him yesterday.

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[Dan Patrick]

Hurley, Connecticut basketball coach and joining us on the program. How's morale today?

[Dan Hurling]

Feel pretty good that you recover, start to recover a little bit more physically, emotionally with, with every day that that passes, you know, you got a little more strength back. You know, you start to, to get the life starts getting back in your body. It's a long season. And then when you play, when you, when you're on those last buses on Monday night, you know you're playing a long season. I mean, you know, like you're, you're. There are a lot of colleges, seasons are over. When we were playing the Big east tournament, you know, so that was, it feels like a year ago.

[Dan Patrick]

The high high of winning and the low low of losing. Can you compare those two?

[Dan Hurling]

Yeah, you know, I don't. Maybe I didn't feel it. The low low of losing. I think I've, you know, sometimes like being proud of, of the group and how hard they fought to, to give you the maximum with the group sometimes that, that, that has kind of been a little bit of an override on the disappointment of missing out on the confetti, the trophy, being the champions, you know, so like, proud is kind of overriding disappointment and sad maybe. And maybe that's because we have a couple chips. But, you know, proud more than sad.

[Dan Patrick]

When did you realize you were in trouble?

[Dave Roberts]

What, What?

[Dan Hurling]

Different things I did during the year in the game.

[Dan Patrick]

No, no, no, no. You're always in trouble. I'm talking about when I was eight years old.

[Dan Hurling]

When I was eight years old at olm, Our lady of Mercy, when Sister, Sister Mary caught me.

[Dan Patrick]

No, wait, what did she catch you doing?

[Dan Hurling]

Probably, you know, copying homework five minutes before class. Okay.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

All right.

[Dan Patrick]

That's not that bad.

[Dave Roberts]

Not bad. Not bad.

[Dan Hurling]

I would say in that game, though, when the game first starts and you see, you know, literally the massive challenge in terms of their size and athleticism and physicality, you know, I think we start the game nine, nine, four down, and you're like, whoa, it's going to be really hard to score and we better be ready to fight.

[Dan Patrick]

But you got 22 offensive rebounds, which, which is kind of crazy. If I would have said that before the game, you're going to get 22 offensive rebounds. You'd probably lean towards. We're winning this game.

[Dan Hurling]

Yeah, I would say a lot of the numbers, the, the, you know, the rebounding, obviously we've been a great defensive team the entire year, especially guarding the three point line. If you would have said to me 22 offensive rebounds, obviously the, you know, the defensive effort, keeping them in to what we, we held an excellent team. And then when you look at probably the shots that we started to get, you know, as they started to get fatigued in the second half, you know, we had a lot of opportunities obviously make a lot of the, you know, the fast break basket to cut it, to cut it to four with two minutes to go would have obviously put enormous game pressure.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I thought that that was probably the key to the game. And then after the game you said just nice things, verbal bouquets about the referees.

[Dan Hurling]

Yeah, listen, when you get, you know, when you get to that, that you get to hit somebody tournament, you know, you get the officials, you get, you get the best of the best and you know, the officials that you get as the tournament goes on or the best officials keep advancing, you know, you go back and watch the film and you know, there's obviously things that I got wrong as a coach. The shots that the players missed and then, you know, you see plays that went on during the game that you know that, that the officials missed. It's not, it's not a perfect, you know, situation. Obviously the, you know, the hook and hold on caravan was a, was, was a big play and then obviously that, you know, they missed a couple of, you know, they probably missed a couple, two of, of you know, of calls, shoves in the back or what have you. But you know, Michigan was the best team in the country. Yeah. The whole year. And, and they deserve it. Dusty did an awesome job. They're an all time, one of the best teams in recent memory for me.

[Dan Patrick]

When do you find out if Mullins is coming back?

[Dan Hurling]

Well, I mean, the line is starting to form. It's the, it's the supermarket, it's the deli section. I don't know what.

[Dan Patrick]

Take a number. Yeah. Okay.

[Dan Hurling]

Yeah. It's such a, you know, for, I think for teams like us and the teams that played in the Final Four national championship game, it's like it hits you like an avalanche because we literally, your season really just ended just like literally two days ago. And now you've got to make all these decisions. You've got to help your players make monumental decisions. I would just say now in college, I would say that unless it absolutely makes total sense for you to go in the draft, you know, unless, you know you're going to be a lottery pick or guaranteed to go top 15, top 18. The biggest mistake that you can make right now as a college basketball player is going to the draft too early and not staying long enough in college because of the, obviously the money situation.

[Dan Patrick]

What's your advice going to be? Or has. Has it already been for Mullins to stay or go?

[Dan Hurling]

I think with what I'll tell, what I'll tell Braylon and I'll tell his family is number one. Do you, do you like college? You know, do you, do you like college? I mean, some players are in a, are in a rush to get to the NBA because they don't like being a college student. They don't like being in a college program. So I think that's like the. Because college programs are run way differently than NBA teams in terms of how we practice and, you know, just, and how kind of rigorous study hall and going to class and then, you know, the coach being in charge of the whole operation. So, yeah, I mean, it's, it's, you know, do you like college? And I think that, that the world has changed. There's not this, you know, this pressure to, to go to the NBA now because of the, because of the money situation. He, you know, players like Braylon are probably, he probably make more money at UConn next year than he would if he was the 15th pick. So, you know, those are the things that you have to weigh. How badly do I want to get out of college and get to the NBA?

[Dan Patrick]

Are you scheduled to face Luke Murray and BC next year?

[Dan Hurling]

No, I'm going to put the, the, the family. He's like a brother to me, Luke. I mean, and I couldn't imagine Bill Murray not wearing my team's hat or rooting against me now. So he's like a brother. So I'll never schedule Luke the transfer

[Dan Patrick]

portal and recruiting out of high school. Like, I don't know if you've ever had a top 10 recruiting year. Maybe you had 11th is your best, but it kind of feels like you have a formula of what you're trying to do. Maybe you take a big swing and you get Braylon Mullins, but then you're also going to be filling in the pieces here. We saw that with Illinois, we saw that with Michigan. Is this, is this the future of college basketball?

[Dan Hurling]

Yeah, Dan, I think we're at a crossroads. You know, I think we've got to decide, you know, what is, you know, who do we Want to be, you know, do we want to try to hold the line and just go retention, high school recruiting and maybe, you know, cherry pick a need in the portal, you know, or is this now, Are we at a point where it's like wipe the board every year and try to put together the most talented team that you can? I mean, we have our first national champion that was comprised of all portals or all transfers in Michigan, obviously a stud in McKinney off the bench as a high school recruit. But right now we're processing the best, you know, the best way for us to move forward. Because you got players on your team that are obviously right now weighing, you know, what, what they want to do. But also from, from a program standpoint, you also have all these players that have entered the portal, you know, who are also reaching out for UConn that would like to potentially play here too. So, you know, our players have decisions to make about what they want to do in the future. But, you know, we also as a staff have got to decide quickly.

[Dan Patrick]

Is coaching the least stressful part of this job now?

[Dan Hurling]

Yeah, I mean, this is terrible right now. What's going on. I mean, we, I think we all have to get to a point and it's not, it's not terrible, you know, in a sense of nil. I think the nil for the players is awesome. Our players made a lot of money this year and their commitment level was to the max. So the money didn't make them lazy or hard to coach. They were awesome the whole year. But just, you know, like, I think as a, as college programs right now, you literally have to have a front office that takes over at this point of the year, you know, like to take a coaching staff that now did the six month season and now you've got to flip and now run recruiting visits, put the roster together, talk to the age. I mean, it's, it's, it's, it's a lot. I think college programs are. They got. We got to start being run like an NBA organization or a pro sports organization.

[Dan Patrick]

Do you have a player who has a nicer car than you?

[Dan Hurling]

Yeah, I mean, that was, I think, I think it was early this year. I started to see the teslas and the BMWs. And I'm a Ford guy, you know, I'm a Ford guy. I got my Ford Raptor truck. So I'm built tough.

[Dan Patrick]

Of course you are. But it used to be in the old days players would have BMWs in nice cars. It just was not above board cash.

[Dan Hurling]

Now it's leases. Now they're getting. Now they're getting leases with. Which is. You know, it's a. Listen, it's great. The type of guys that we get at UConn again, it's like, for me, it's the transfer rule. If my sons, as college or high school kids, said to me, hey, Dad, I want to transfer after my freshman year of college, I would say, tell me why, and I want to hear your reasons, and then I'll support you if the reasons make sense. But then at the end of their sophomore year, if they said, I want to transfer again and then I want to transfer again, at some point, I would, as a parent, I would be concerned.

[Dan Patrick]

All right, well, you got time off now.

[Dan Hurling]

Don't you know that line, it's full. It's even gotten bigger since I looked last.

[Dan Patrick]

Do you know how many players right now you'll have on your team next year?

[Dan Hurling]

No, I don't. I know. I. Maybe five.

[Scott Van Pelt]

Four.

[Dan Hurling]

Five out of 15, maybe, you know, with. Between turning pro, you know, players, you know, having the role they want here, you know, should I test the draft process? Yeah. Obviously, just tampering that's been going on. I mean, there's tampering that goes on the entire. The entire year. So, you know, now, even players that aren't in the portal, I mean, everyone's. I mean, everyone's in the port.

[Dan Patrick]

But. But, Danny, why do we allow schools to tamper with coaches?

[Dan Hurling]

Why do we want. What's that?

[Dan Patrick]

Why do we allow a school, you know, North Carolina, if they're interested in Ben golden or they're interested in, you know, Tommy Lloyd, like, why are they allowed to do that? They're under contract.

[Dan Hurling]

Yeah. I mean, you shouldn't. You know, you should.

[Dan Patrick]

North Carolina didn't reach out to you, did they?

[Dave Roberts]

No.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Dave Roberts]

No.

[Dan Hurling]

And when I was coaching at Rhode island, it was really important for me that. And I knew my last year that there was going to be interest from Pittsburgh and UConn. And you, obviously, you have agents that are, you know, because these schools, they want. They want to know, like, they want to know. They want to know what your interest level is while you're in that other job. They don't want to wait till your season's over. But I think what was unique for me when I was coaching Rhode island was I refused to talk to any of those schools or to even have the intermediary conversations until Duke beat my butt at the end of my last game after we beat Oklahoma in the tournament at roadie. So, yeah, I mean, I don't know how you could do that as a coach and then come in and look at your team and then be upset with the players and yeah, I mean, I think that as, as adults and as coaches, you got to have, you have to have some honor with the way that you move and the decisions that you make with your career.

[Dan Patrick]

Hopefully you enjoy the off season. Thanks for joining us. Thanks for sharing as always.

[Dan Hurling]

Always a pleasure, Dan.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you, bud. That's Dan Hurling Geigo presents a 30

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[Dan Hurling]

Yep.

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