Dan Hurley puts "pettiness" aside while lauding Todd Golden's Florida ahead of national championship game

UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley threw a fit after his team was beaten by Florida in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. However, the Huskies coach has now acknowledged that his team was just no match for the Gators on that day.

Hurley fumed at the officials after his team’s 77-75 loss to Florida, and his actions went viral, sparking reactions in the college basketball community. Some insisted that he acted disrespectfully towards the Gators.

On the latest episode of the "Pardon My Take" podcast by Barstool Sports, Hurley handed Florida respect, saying that he feels no animosity toward them.

“When you've experienced championship glory, you don't get the petty moral victories that way,” he said (Timestamp: 1:10). "We had opportunities.

"Up three with the ball, in transition, three-and-a-half minutes to go with a chance maybe to get a 3 in transition and take a six-point lead, but we turned the ball over ... 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.”

Hurley also took the opportunity to praise the roster put together by Florida coach Todd Golden.

“Listen. Houston is amazing. They're doing it on culture and just a program mentality,” he said. “With Florida, and I think with Duke, they put together incredible rosters. Their roster construction is, like, top-, top-notch, you know, high-level stuff. And the same thing with Auburn."

UConn won back-to-back national titles in 2023 and 2024, and Florida has proven that beating the reigning champions was no fluke. The Gators have made their way to the NCAA Tournament final for the first time since 2007, where they will face Houston.

Golden is in his third season with the program, and it has been his best one yet. After failing to make March Madness in his maiden campaign, he was eliminated in the Round of 64 last year. This season, he already led the team to an SEC Tournament title, and they earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Dan Hurley crowns Connecticut the basketball capital of the world

Final Four national championship game practice: Connecticut - Source: Imagn

The UConn women’s basketball team won the 2025 NCAA title with a dominant 82-59 win over South Carolina on Sunday. There were several reactions to the victory, and one of them was the UConn men's coach, who made a bold declaration.

“@UConnWBB 12 Time National Champions!! Undeniably the Basketball Capital of the World…Storrs, Connecticut,” Dan Hurley wrote on his X account.

It was the first national title for the Huskies women since 2016 and the 12th in their history.