Dan Hurley sends a message to UConn fans as Huskies national champion reign officially comes to close 

On Tuesday, UConn Huskies coach Dan Hurley recognized the achievement of the Florida basketball program by responding to an X post from NCAA March Madness. He congratulated the Florida Gators on their thrilling 65-63 victory over Houston in Monday's national championship game.

Hurley acknowledged that UConn’s reign at the top had officially ended, that there was a new champion at the top, the Florida Gators.

“Our Reign officially ended last night and now the incredibly worthy Champion @GatorsMBK are on Top of the Mountain!” Hurley wrote. “Congratulations and Enjoy the Championship Glory! For us…the climb back is underway. 🏔️”

The message was posted as he quoted a tweet from the official NCAA March Madness account, commemorating the one-year anniversary of UConn’s 2024 national title win, their second straight championship after their 2023 win.

Dan Hurley joined the Huskies in 2018 and returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2021. Hurley led the Huskies to a school record 37 wins, Big East regular title, Big East Tournament championship, No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and a second consecutive NCAA tournament all in the 2023-24 season.

The Huskies came up short in their attempt at a historic three-peat as they lost 77-75 to eventual champions Florida in the second round on Mar. 23. As Hurley’s tweet suggests, the Huskies are already setting their sights on the climb back to the top.

Dan Hurley shares why he skipped Final Four after UConn’s Tournament exit

After Dan Hurley’s Huskies were eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by eventual champions, the Florida Gators, other college basketball coaches made their way to the Final Four in San Antonio but Hurley was noticeably absent.

On Monday, during an appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show," Hurley explained his decision to stay away from the big weekend. Hurley admitted that the loss was still too fresh, and watching the tournament continue without his Huskies was tough to take.

“When you've lived at the top the last two years, it's hard to just sit there and watch,” Hurley said. “You want to be the one playing, not spectating.”

The Huskies led the Florida Gators for most of their second-round matchup, but the Gators’ late comeback pulled off a narrow 77-75 victory. A late go-ahead bucket and a defensive stand sealed their victory and ended UConn’s two-year reign as champions. It was a crushing loss for Hurley’s UConn, after they came close to surviving and advancing to the next round.

For Hurley, watching from afar wasn’t easy, but with the offseason underway, his focus now shifts to regrouping and making another run at the championship title in 2026.