Dan Hurley is great for the sport of college basketball. The 53-year-old head coach at UConn made sure to lead with class and sportsmanship after a loss to Michigan at the national championship.
It’s almost as if he is not the a—hole he is often made out to be.
There is no question that Hurley is the most polarizing figure in college basketball and for good reason. He often acts like a maniac, because he is a maniac, but that doesn’t mean he can’t also lead with integrity.
Dan Hurley wears his emotions on his sleeve.
You can always tell exactly what Dan Hurley is thinking. It is written all over his face in every moment.
— @MindOfBron (@FunKneeBone) April 7, 2026
People love to hate him because of how he acts. Hurley completely melted down on his players while up by 16 points during an exhibition game back in October. He flipped out on a group of Creighton fans while leaving the arena after a loss last season. His bizarre referee headbutt head nuzzle during the Elite Eight was widely labeled as weird and performative.
Fine, whatever.
Hurley knows exactly who he is and will not apologize for being himself. Even if it rubs people the wrong way. 60 Minutes confirmed that he is an absolute lunatic who cares only about winning. It consumes him.
The UConn basketball team took down Duke with a last-second 3-pointer to make the Final Four.
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) March 30, 2026
60 Minutes sat down with Hurley last season as he burned sage on the court, spritzed holy water on the net, and placed garlic bulbs under the bleachers. All of this to appease the… pic.twitter.com/0lfzluKFf1
In an era where players are getting paid millions of dollars and coaches treat them like peers, the college basketball coach at UConn is something of a throwback to a past generation. Whether you like Dan Hurley or not, you watched. There is no denying that he is a fantastic personality for the sport.
UConn showed the utmost class and sportsmanship.
The Huskies did their best to hang around with the Wolverines in the national championship game but it felt like the No. 3 overall seed was inevitable from the jump. They were the better team.
Dan Hurley was more than willing to recognize the talent of Michigan, from top to bottom.
“That’s just an incredibly talented, incredibly imposing team physically, obviously well-coached, great staff. Overall, just a tremendous university with what they’re able to accomplish in sports.”
He was proud of how UConn battled against the “Monstars.” It just wasn’t enough.
Nothing but praise from Dan Hurley postgame for his UConn squad:
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) April 7, 2026
"How are you disappointed at all in your group? These guys had 22 ORB's versus that group of 'Monstars' out there." 🙌 pic.twitter.com/fYdto9ASMc
And for someone who is often labeled as belligerent and/or cranky, especially with/toward referees, Hurley showed his gratitude and respect for the officiating crew at the national championship game.
Dan Hurley on the officiating 👀
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) April 7, 2026
“It’s hard to ref that game. We both played so hard… If I could have those three guys ref every game the rest of my career, I would sleep well at night.” pic.twitter.com/6UHRdWJ0qo
The most admirable moment of the evening took place right after the final buzzer. The Wolverines went to celebrate their victory and took awhile to settle down. Instead of walking back to the locker room with their chins in their chest, the Huskies stood proud and waited for the celebration to subside so they could shake hands with their opponent. Dan Hurley was the first in line.
Really good moment: Dan Hurley and the entire UConn team waited for the Michigan players to come back after their immediate celebration to shake their heads and congratulate them on winning the national title. pic.twitter.com/pwJDeqFC47
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 7, 2026
Say what you will about Hurley and how he acts, but there are very few people on the planet who have a greater respect for college basketball. He expects his players to share that same appreciation.