Coach Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies are coming off a disappointing season. After back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024, the Huskies lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament this past season. Now the team is focused on getting back into national title contention.
Offseason workouts have started for UConn players. On Wednesday, the UConn men's basketball Instagram posted several photos, showcasing Alex Karaban, Jaylin Stewart and other members of the Huskies working out. Dan Hurley was also featured in some of the images.
"Settling in," UConn men's basketball wrote.
Dan Hurley is returning for his eighth season coaching the Huskies. When he arrived, the Huskies were coming off one of the worst stretches in the program's history. The team did not qualify for the two years prior to Hurley's arrival.
Then, when Hurley arrived, they did not participate in his first two years. However, in the second season, they likely would have qualified had the COVID-19 pandemic not caused the cancellation of the postseason.
In 2021, Hurley led the Huskies to their first March Madness appearance since 2016. They lost in the first round and did so again in 2022. However, the team was able to take what they learned in those years and become national champions in 2023 and 2024.
Now, Hurley is hoping he can get his team back to their previous form. His teams have either won the national championship or failed to advance past the second round. Fans will be watching eagerly to see if Hurley can get the team back on track in 2025-26.
Dan Hurley shuts down New York Knicks rumors
For the second year in a row, Dan Hurley was in NBA coaching rumors. Last year, there were rumors that the Los Angeles Lakers were interested in his services. However, he shut that down by signing a six-year, $50 million extension with the Huskies.
On June 3, shortly after Tom Thibodeau was fired as New York Knicks coach, Dan Hurley shut down rumors that he would take the job. When speaking with members of the media, he simply said:
"Not another summer of that."
Hurley also spoke about how offseason practices have been going:
"Two days into practice, not everyone is on campus, but we’re thrilled with the way we’ve been able to put it together."
While the Huskies lost in the second round this year, their loss was a close 77-75 game against the future national champion Florida Gators.
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