Dan Hurley once spilled the beans at realistic chances of him transitioning into NBA: "Just breaking down at some point" 

The UConn Huskies national championship-winning coach Dan Hurley has emerged as the front-runner for the vacant Lakers job, according to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. The highly coveted job was thought to be ESPN analyst JJ Redick's for the taking before the franchise pivoted to the charismatic UConn coach.

After winning the national championship in April, Hurley appeared on "The Dan Patrick Show" and talked about the only reasons that he would leave the UConn Huskies.

"Maybe just burnout. At this point for me, maybe just pushing too hard and probably just breaking down at some point because you just can't keep up the intensity and the energy and the output. And then maybe down the road if I can grow up a little bit, mature with the emotions. Maybe the NBA down, down the road," Hurley said.

Patrick then asked him why he would go to the NBA.

"Well, I think college has become like the G-League in a way. Obviously, that's tongue-in-cheek but the college game has changed. You win a national championship and obviously, we're gonna do things, we had the parade, we do these things, and you're right into free agency frenzy. I am more worried about burnout than going to the NBA."

Dan Hurley is a coach for the future

While the Lakers are desperate to keep LeBron James next season, he will be 40 next season and the executives have to start planning for the future without their superstar.

The championship-winning Dan Hurley is the coach for the future, according to Adrian Wojnarowski, with the Lakers hoping that the UConn coach plays a part in developing the team's young core consisting of Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.

According to ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst, LeBron James gave his opinion to the Lakers on their search for a new coach and the criteria they needed to adhere to to get it right.

“LeBron told the Lakers they need to make a decision on their head coach that’s not just about me. … It’s going to be about what you need to do for your franchise. It’s going to be about Anthony Davis. That is what he said. … He wants the Lakers to do what’s best for their team long-term. If the Lakers make a hire like this, it’s not for LeBron,” Windhorst said on the Unsportsmanlike radio show.

Dan Hurley seems to tick every box as the type of coach that the Lakers want to steer their project going forward with his developmental abilities, winning pedigree and for life after the departure of LeBron James.