Did Dan Hurley ever play pro basketball? Know more about UConn HC's college career

UConn coach Dan Hurley has propelled the Huskies to back-to-back national basketball titles. This season, Hurley is looking to redefine his legacy, as he aims to join the great John Wooden as the only bench tactician to guide a team to a third consecutive NCAA crown.

But before becoming the eighth coach to win two consecutive titles, Dan Hurley was a standout guard playing for his father Bob Hurley Sr at St. Anthony High School. He was a key contributor to the team's 31-1 run during his senior year, leading to a national ranking of No. 2.

Hurley chose to play point guard with Seton Hall in college. He was elevated to starting point guard during his last two seasons under former Pirates and NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo. However, the guard stepped away in the 1993-94 season with the Pirates to deal with mental health after his brother, Bobby, was injured in a car accident.

Dan Hurley became a key piece in the team's offense during his last two seasons with Seton Hall. He averaged 13.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 34 games in the 1994-95 season and tallied 14.3ppg, 2.7rpg and 5.2 apg the following year.

After five seasons, Hurley amassed career totals of 1,070 points and 437 assists, helping his team to three NCAA Tournament appearances and an NIT berth. He followed in his father's footsteps and was an assistant with St Anthony in 1996 before transferring to Rutgers the following year.

Hurley returned to high school coaching in 2001 after his stint at Rutgers and helped St. Benedict's Prep become one of the top teams in the US during his tenure, before stepping down in 2010 to become head coach at Wagner College.

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Dan Hurley steps out of his father's shadow by guiding UConn to two national titles

Dan Hurley spent two seasons at Wagner and guided the Seahawks to a 25-6 finish in the 2011-12 season. He transferred to Rhode Island in the 2012-13 season and helped the Rams to two Round of 32 appearances in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.

Following his successful stint in Rhode Island, he was chosen to become the head coach of UConn in 2018. His first four seasons with the Huskies were relatively so-so but he guided the program to two Round of 64 appearances in 2021 and 2022.

In his fifth season with UConn, Dan Hurley joined Jim Calhoun and Kevin Ollie as the coaches who guided the Huskies to the national title, beating Iona, Saint Mary's, Arkansas, Gonzaga, Miami and San Diego State in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

He'll followed that up in the 2023-24 season, helping the Huskies go 37-3, en route to winning the Big East regular season, tournament and the national championship.

He returned to UConn this season after turning down offers to coach for the NBA's L.A. Lakers. He now aims to join the legendary John Wooden as the only three-peat men's basketball champion.