“It wasn’t my finest year coaching”: Dan Hurley looks back at UConn’s highly unsuccessful 2024-25 season with Jon Rothstein

UConn men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley admits to a “highly unsuccessful” 2024-25 season, acknowledging that the Huskies fell short of the program’s recent championship standards.

Speaking with college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, who shared an excerpt on Instagram on Thursday, Hurley said the season still stings, especially their narrow second-round NCAA Tournament loss to the eventual national champion Florida.

“It’s brutal,” Hurley said, noting he feels that way “80%... maybe 85% of the time” when looking back.

The Huskies, who had won national titles in 2023 and 2024, struggled to match their previous dominance. Hurley explained that his yearly habit of reviewing each game from the last season highlighted just how close UConn had come to making a deeper run.

Frustration grew from missed chances, including late-game collapses that cost them a shot at the Big East regular-season title.

Hurley pointed to the Maui Invitational, where going 1-2 instead of 0-3 could have made “a three-game difference,” enough to improve UConn's seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Additional problems included injuries and lineup changes. Starting guard Liam’s absence, Hassan Diarra’s ongoing injuries, and Aiden playing out of his usual position forced freshman Mod into bigger roles earlier than expected.

“We were maddeningly close while dealing with all that,” Hurley said.

The head coach admitted the ultimate responsibility was his.

“You kick yourself even more because you were that close and you felt like you didn’t do a good job as a coach of putting it together,” Hurley reflected. “It wasn’t my finest year coaching.”

With the 2025-26 season ahead, Hurley hopes the lessons from last year’s missteps will fuel a return to the top.

Dan Hurley tips UConn star for ‘dominant year’

UConn head coach Dan Hurley is optimistic about Tarris Reed Jr.’s upcoming season. Speaking last Friday at the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center, Hurley praised the former Michigan star’s aggressiveness, work ethic, and leadership in practice. Reed’s communication skills and ability to set effective screens also stood out.

“Tarris worked his a** off. We’ve bet heavy that he’s going to have a dominant year,” Hurley said.

Reed averaged 9.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game in 35 appearances last season, and the Huskies expect him to be a key player in the 2025-26 season.