Top 5 Dan Hurley replacements if UConn HC leaves for Lakers coaching job ft. Rick Pitino

Dan Hurley could be leaving the UConn Huskies after winning back-to-back national championships.

Hurley spoke about wanting to go for the three-peat; but on Wednesday, NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski dropped massive news that Hurley is the front-runner to land the head coaching job at the Los Angeles Lakers.

If the deal does come to fruition, UConn will have to hire Hurley's replacement, but the Huskies should have plenty of options to replace him.

Top 5 Dan Hurley replacements if UConn HC leaves for Lakers

1. Rick Pitino

Rick Pitino will likely be one of the favorites to be considered to be the next coach of the UConn Huskies.

Pitino is coming off his first season at St. John's as he led the team to a 20-13 record. He is one of the top coaches in college basketball as he spent 16 years at Louisville and eight years at Kentucky among other spots.

Pitino has won two national championships in his coaching career so he knows what it takes to win a national title. Pitino deserves another spot at a marquee spot and UConn could be that.

2. Nate Oats

Nate Oats is the current head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide and has held that job since 2019.

Oats was linked to the opening at Kentucky but decided to stay at Alabama, as he said he's committed to them.

“We have already accomplished some great things here, and there is nothing I want more than for The University of Alabama to win its first national championship in men’s basketball,” Oats wrote in a statement posted on X. “Despite any rumors to the contrary, rest assured that I will continue that pursuit as your head coach.”

However, the opportunity to coach the reigning back-to-back national champions could be tempting for Oats.

3. Scott Drew

Scott Drew is the head coach of Baylor

Scott Drew is another name that was linked to the job at Kentucky, so it wouldn't be a surprise if his name came back up in rumors for the UConn job.

Drew is one of the top coaches in college basketball as he has been at Baylor since 2003 and has helped turn the program around. He has accomplished everything at Baylor as he won the national title in the 2020-21 season.

Drew would be one of the top replacements available for UConn and would keep the Huskies as one of the favorites to win the national title.

4. Eric Musselman

Eric Musselman was hired by USC

Eric Musselman could pivot from USC to take the job at UConn.

Musselman was hired by USC in April to become their new head coach after five years at Arkansas, but if UConn does show interest in him, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him explore that as the Huskies is a much better program than USC.

Musselman has proven he can win at an elite level as he did so at Nevada, and had success at Arkansas, so he would be a solid replacement for Hurley.

5. Kimani Young

Kimani Young is currently the UConn Huskies associate head coach and if Dan Hurley does leave for the Lakers job, he would be an easy person to promote as head coach.

Young is Hurley's right-hand man and UConn is familiar with him as he has been with the school since 2018 and played a key role in the back-to-back national championships. He's familiar with the players and if the Huskies can't land a top head coach from another school, Young would be a logical replacement.