“Nobody whines as much”: Fans dismiss Dan Hurley for 'didn’t even know he was a college ref' rant

Dan Hurley lost his composure during No. 2-ranked UConn's 99-97 overtime loss to unranked Memphis at the Maui Invitational on Monday and drew fans' ire for his behavior. This happened after a controversial over-the-back foul call with 40.3 seconds left in overtime, as Huskies forward Liam McNeeley was going for an offensive rebound with the score tied at 92-92.

Hurley had an outburst and picked up a technical foul as they suffered their first loss this season (4-1). He continued his rant post-game:

"I had a lot of issues with what went on in the game. That over-the-back call at that point of the game, there was no attempt to block out. There was a player on Memphis that made a half-*ss effort to rebound that basketball and Liam McNeeley high-pointed that rebound and for that call to be made, at that point of the game was a complete joke.

" ... How you could call that while that game was going on with the way that game was going on is just beyond me. I've never seen that one ref before. I didn't even know he was a college ref. I'm familiar with the other two so I'm not surprised."

College hoops fans were not happy with Dan Hurley's argument and flooded the comment section.

"Guy's a total prick. He curses the refs the entire 2nd half in any competitive game. Fine the heck out of him; he's got the money." A fan said.

"'Let me do whatever I want or you’re the worst refs ever.' - Dandy Dan Hurley," another fan said.

"Nobody in the sport whines as much as this dude," a fan chimed in.

The sentiment was echoed by many other fans:

"I think he wants to be hated," another fan chimed in.

"Blaming the officials for making an obvious call while losing a game to Penny Hardaway is so weird," one user posted.

Some did not take kindly to Hurley's comment about a Memphis player making half-hearted efforts and wrote:

"So he felt the need to point out that he thought Carter on Memphis was making a half-ass effort? That take is…something," a fan said.

"Calling an opposing player’s effort half ass is completely classless. Talk about your own players and not other team’s." Another fan wrote.

Meanwhile, some agreed with Dan Hurley's argument.

"My thoughts, very, very, very unprofessional !!!" A fan wrote.

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Dan Hurley says he may have lost his balance after the call

The Tigers benefited from the foul on McNeeley and Hurley's technical, with PJ Carter scoring four straight free throws to give Memphis a 96-92 lead. They never looked back, holding on for a 99-97 win.

After describing the foul as "a complete joke" post-game, Dan Hurley said that he may have lost his balance due to the "absurdity of the call."

Connecticut Huskies forward Liam McNeeley (30) celebrates during the first half against Texas A&M Commerce at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Photo: Imagn

Tyrese Hunter starred for Memphis in the upset victory, scoring 17 of his 26 points in the second half. He shot 8-of-13 from the field, including 7-of-10 from beyond the arc.

The loss was UConn's first since Feb. 20, when they were defeated by the Creighton Bluejays in the Big East.

Six players scored in double figures for the Huskies, with Tarris Reed Jr., Jaylin Stewart and Hassan Diarra providing the firepower off the bench, combining for 50 points. Alex Karaban led the starters with 19 points, while McNeeley and Solo Ball each contributed 10 points.