Dan Hurley addresses controversial tunnel interaction following second-round loss vs. Florida

A video of UConn head coach Dan Hurley went viral after his team lost 77-75 to Florida in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. He was seen complaining about officiating after the game, using some strong words that seemed to be directed at the referees.

Hurley appeared on the latest episode of Barstool Sports' Pardon My Take podcast on Monday. He took this opportunity to address the incident that took place after the game against Florida. He explained what sparked his reaction at the end of the game.

“I thought there was a call on a (Alex) Karaban drive that, there was a foul that needed to be called that would have kept it at a two-possession game if he made his free throws," Hurley said. "That was on my brain as I was heading down that tunnel, as our pursuit of a three-peat and this incredible, historic run that we'd been on had gone down in flames, and I was filled with all this emotion."

“Did I actually believe what I said? No," the UConn coach added. "To a fellow combatant that was about to enter the ring, I just kinda said something to, like, the Baylor guys that we played this year, and that's just kinda what combatants say to each other."

Florida has shown that their victory over UConn was no fluke. After their win against UConn, the Gators have beaten Maryland, Texas Tech and Auburn, and are now in the national championship game for the first time since winning successive titles in 2006 and 2007.

Dan Hurley speaks about how his team had opportunities to win against Florida, praises Walter Clayton Jr.

NCAA Basketball: Final Four-Team Press Conference - Source: Imagn

During his appearance on the Pardon My Take show on Monday, UConn head coach Dan Hurely admitted that his side failed to take their opportunities in their second-round clash against the Florida Gators.

"We had opportunities in that round-of-32 game," said Hurley. "Up three with the ball, in transition, three-and-a-half minutes to go with a chance maybe to get a three in transition and take a six point lead, we turned the ball over".

He then went on to give Florida’s star guard, Walter Clayton Jr., props for his performance in that game and the rest of the tournament and said:

“From there, (Walter) Clayton took over and did a little bit of like a Kemba Walker, Shabazz Napier thing, and he's kept doing it."

Clayton has had a stellar March Madness. He scored 30+ points in his team’s Elite Eight and Final Four games, becoming the first player since Larry Bird to achieve this feat in the same season.