"I got escorted by the Tulsa Police officer": Dan Hurley isn't a huge fan of his birthday due to various reasons

Dan Hurley turned 52 on Thursday, a topic reporters brought up during Friday's pregame press conference. The UConn coach drew laughs as he explained why he isn’t a fan of celebrating his birthday.

Hurley discussed the Huskies' open week, emphasizing the importance of improving their intensity and “competitive rage at the defensive end” during the break. At one point, a reporter asked Hurley if his players had gifted him some rage for his birthday.

"Yeah, I've been on it this week. I’ve been pretty intense this week," Hurley said (Timestamp 7:18). "The birthday is not really a thing. You know, we don’t get Christmas, New Year’s, Thanksgiving, Birthday, January."

"Even if you’ve won the game before your birthday, you’re worried about the game after your birthday. If you lost the game before your birthday, then your birthday’s ruined. There is no good birthday in January."

A reporter reminded Hurley of a previous birthday when he was ejected during a game, prompting the UConn coach to laugh out loud.

"I got escorted by the Tulsa police officer. She was very nice on the way out. It wasn’t a raucous crowd either. Not a lot of people in there for that. Yeah, that was a moment. I’ve had some birthday moments."

The incident incident occurred on Hurley’s 46th birthday when the Huskies faced the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Jan. 16, 2019. During the second half, Hurley had a heated exchange with Tulsa coach Frank Haith, which resulted in both coaches being ejected.

Dan Hurley's UConn Huskies to face Creighton next in Big East clash

Dan Hurley and the No. 9 UConn Huskies return to action Saturday, hosting the Creighton Bluejays at Gampel Pavilion. The defending NCAA champions have been in fine form, winning nine of their last 10 games.

UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley coaches his team against the Providence Friars during the second half of their NCAA basketball game at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on January 5, 2025. Photo: Getty

UConn bounced back from its gut-wrenching loss to Villanova, beating the Georgetown Hoyas 68-60 in their last game on Saturday. Two UConn players scored in double figures as the team improved to 13-4 overall.

Alex Karaban led the Huskies with 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting, including an impressive 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Solo Ball also chipped in 15 points to help secure the win.