"I'm dying to see how this plays out": Geno Auriemma spills the beans to Dan Hurley on initial reaction to finding Kevin Ollie's replacement at UConn

Geno Auriemma and Dan Hurley will forever be remembered as UConn icons, having won a combined 13 NCAA titles in their illustrious coaching careers. In the first episode of "Legendary Basketball," which premiered on the Huskies' YouTube channel on Wednesday, Auriemma opened up about his initial reaction to Hurley taking the top job in Storrs.

The Huskies had to look for a new coach in 2018 after firing Kevin Ollie for allegedly violating NCAA rules over a four-year period. Auriemma was consulted by the school during the selection process, sharing that the fans wanted a big name to replace Ollie as UConn's coach.

"When we were in the early stages of replacing our coach and getting a new one at a place like UConn, the rumors were rampant," Auriemma said (3:53).

"So the names that are thrown out, the fans are so passionate here as you know. They thought, well, why can’t we get Roy Williams? Bill Self, he’ll leave Kansas. He’ll come here because we’re UConn. We can get anybody we want in the country."

What piqued Geno Auriemma's interest was Dan Hurley's name being linked to the UConn coaching job.

"And I thought it’s going to have to be somebody that understands this part of the world and what we are and who we are and what we’re doing. So when your name came up, I thought this is going to be interesting," Auriemma told Hurley.

Auriemma knew about Hurley's past reputation and was interested in how his possible signing would turn out for UConn.

"I’m dying to see how this plays out because the reputation you had when you were a young coach, that’s all people knew," Auriemma said. "And people that I talked to because I was asked to make some phone calls, not just about you, and everyone was ‘it’s a different guy now.’"

UConn decided to hire Hurley, who had spent six years at Rhode Island, and the rest is history.

"I know that everybody, when you came up here, everybody felt like that’s the guy, that’s the guy," Auriemma said. "And it’s turned out to be the best decision they ever made."

Dan Hurley replicates Geno Auriemma's achievement with back-to-back NCAA titles

It didn't take long for Dan Hurley to bring UConn back to the top of the college basketball world. He led the Huskies to their fifth NCAA title in 2023, beating the San Diego State Aztecs 76-59 in the national championship game. Tristen Newton helped Hurley win his first NCAA championship, scoring 19 points in the title game.

UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley celebrates after defeating the San Diego State Aztecs in the national championship game of the 2023 NCAA Tournament at NRG Stadium. Photo: Imagn

The UConn Huskies successfully defended their title in 2024, beating the Purdue Boilermakers 75-60 in the final to win their sixth national championship. Hurley made history with that victory, becoming the first UConn coach to win back-to-back titles in NCAA men's basketball.