Could Dan Hurley become the highest paid college basketball coach? 3 things UConn must do to stop coach from leaving

According to multiple sources, UConn men's basketball coach Dan Hurley is being targeted by the LA Lakers to become their next coach. Hurley began coaching at Connecticut in 2018, coming over from Rhode Island.

Dan Hurley signed a massive six-year $32.1 million extension with the Huskies in 2023, making him the seventh-highest paid college basketball coach. With the Lakers showing strong interest, Hurley could become the highest-paid coach in college basketball if the Huskies make another attempt to make him stay.

According to Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68, UConn has made a "strong offer" to Hurley to get him to stick around. Goodman also reported that a new contract with UConn would put Hurley with Bill Self and John Calipari as one of the three highest-paid college basketball coaches.

Goodman also added that UConn's new contract offer "obviously can't match or even get close to the Lakers." That puts the decision squarely on Hurley's shoulders, whether he wants to follow the money to the NBA or take a pay-cut and go for a three-peat this season with the Huskies.

The Lakers were originally reported to be going after former NBA guard and current ESPN NBA analyst JJ Redick to succeed Darvin Ham as the coach. But recent reports from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski claimed that Hurley has overtaken Redick as the Lakers' top choice, with the organization preparing a "massive, long-term contract offer."

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Three things UConn must do to stop Dan Hurley from leaving

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Bigger contract offer

This option may be the most obvious if the Huskies want Hurley to stay, and something they have reportedly already attempted. UConn may need to pull out all the stops and offer Hurley one of the largest contracts in college basketball history to get him to pass on the job with the Lakers.

Bill Self is the highest-paid coach in college basketball, according to USA Today. Self recently amended his five-year contract in November, worth $53 million, guaranteeing over $5.41 million per year.

A new contract offer from UConn to Dan Hurley would likely have to be somewhere close to Self's yearly earnings if they have any chance of keeping him around.

Convince him to stay close to home

The Huskies pitch to Dan Hurley could also include him staying near Jersey City, where he was born. His wife, Andrea Hurley, also grew up in New Jersey and will have a major say in where her husband will be coaching in the future.

If Hurley takes the job with the Lakers, he and his wife would move across the country to an unfamiliar area. Hurley played college basketball at Seton Hall and spent all his year's coaching near the New Jersey area, so a job in Los Angeles would be uncharted territory for him and his family.

Keep him loyal to his players and the program

The theme that Dan Hurley has preached during his time as the coach at UConn is loyalty. Hurley hasn't cut a single player from the team he took over. There are also many incoming freshman and transfers, like Aidan Mahaney and Tarris Reed, who have chosen to play Hurley at UConn this season.

If Hurley takes the coaching job with the Lakers, it could be seen as him going against his philosophy of loyalty and abandoning his team. He also has a chance to go for a historic three-peat with the program which would be another massive factor in deciding to stay.

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Do you think Dan Hurley will take the coaching job with the LA Lakers or stay with UConn? Let's know in the comments section: