STORRS, Conn. — Players on teams that make it to the Final Four don't do it by themselves. Sure, they throw down the alley-oops and slam dunks, but there is a leader on the sidelines who strategizes and motivates the team, making those wins happen.
The UConn men's basketball team turns to Head Coach Dan Hurley to lead the Huskies to victory each time they hit the court.
Since arriving in Storrs in March 2018, Hurley has helped the team regain the national prominence it has pursued.
The men were eliminated in the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons but won their fifth national championship in 2023 and their sixth national championship in 2024.
Hurley was most recently awarded Big East Coach of the Year after leading the Huskies to an 18-2 record in the Big East, the most wins in conference history. Under his leadership, the Huskies won the league by four games. They also achieved a 14-game winning streak in Big East play, tied for longest in a single season in conference history.
The only other coach in UConn men's history who was named the Big East Coach of the Year is the legendary Jim Calhoun, who was awarded the honor four times, including in 1989-90, 1993-94, 1995-96, and 1997-98.
In the Atlantic 10 conference, Hurley also won Coach of the Year in 2017-18, his final season coaching the University of Rhode Island.
Hurley also led the team to a 33-point margin at halftime during its Round of 64 matchup against Stetson on March 22, the largest in program history in the NCAA tournament, according to the Associated Press.
Hurley is notably superstitious, having worn the same clothes - including shirt, shoes, socks, tie and underwear - to every game. He also eats eight M&Ms before each match, but never of the color of the opposing team, the Associated Press said.
Prior to the Huskies' success over the past two years, the last time they were in in a Final Four was when they were under the leadership of Kevin Ollie, who took the team to a National Championship title in 2014, in tandem with the UConn women.
Before Ollie was Calhoun, who won three national championships with UConn in 1999, 2004, and 2011.
Before coaching for UConn, Hurley was the head coach for Rhode Island, Wagner College, and St. Benedict's Prep.
Hurley manages the Huskies with Assistant Coaches Tom Moore and Luke Murray, and Associate Head Coach Kimani Young.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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