Just three days after the New York Knicks were knocked out of the Eastern Conference Finals, the franchise made a bold move by firing head coach Tom Thibodeau. The decision has sparked a wave of speculation about who might take over at the helm.
Among the many names floated is UConn head coach Dan Hurley, who is once again being linked to a potential jump to the NBA. In an interview with Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant, Dan Hurley finally addressed the swirling rumors connecting him to the Knicks job.
“Not another summer of that,” Hurley said.
Hurley led the UConn Huskies to a 24–11 record this past season, but their journey ended earlier than expected with a second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament. Following that loss and Thibodeau’s dismissal, attention quickly shifted to whether Hurley might consider taking the reins in New York.
This isn’t the first time Dan Hurley has been at the center of NBA coaching speculation. Just last year, he was a prime candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers head coaching job after the team parted ways with Darvin Ham.
The Lakers reportedly offered Hurley a lucrative deal. However, Hurley ultimately turned down the offer and chose to remain with UConn.
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Dan Hurley Not Expected To Chase Knicks Opportunity, Says NBA Insider
On Wednesday’s episode of The Herd, FOX Sports college basketball reporter John Fanta gave his thoughts on the current rumors linking Hurley to the Knicks. He suggested that while the Knicks coaching vacancy is certainly a high-profile position, the likelihood of Hurley leaving UConn to take it is slim.
“I don’t think that this buzz is going to progress to the degree that we saw the Lakers thing last year and the reporting off of that, talking about him staying at UConn, the layers to it. We’re going to get down that road. I just don’t see it,” Fanta explained.
For now, Hurley appears focused on the future of the Huskies program. After a season that ended in disappointment, he and his team are setting their sights on a stronger run next year.
