Hurley becomes first UConn men's coach to earn Naismith honor
Apr. 7—PHOENIX, Ariz. — Dan Hurley put together his acceptance speech shortly after arriving at the Naismith Awards ceremony Sunday morning.
He's been busy preparing his UConn basketball team for Monday's national championship game against fellow No. 1 seed Purdue at State Farm Stadium.
After receiving his Naismith men's college coach of the year trophy, Hurley addressed the big crowd at the Phoenix Art Museum, the location of the event. Tubby Smith, Roy Williams and Bobby Cremins, three past award winners, stood behind him on the stage.
"I was nervous enough coming in here, now you brought these three guys in here, and now I'm really nervous," Hurley said. "I asked my wife, 'Should I be myself or should I just stick to the remarks?' It's going to be a combination."
Hurley was definitely his authentic self, wise-cracking his way through his speech while talking about everything from his journey from a high school coach to running a national championship program at UConn, to his family and, of course, his lucky underwear.
"Fifteen years ago, I was a high school coach," Hurley said. "I could have never imagined that my coaching life would go this path. It's an incredible honor to be part of the history of this award now. It's an honor to be nominated with the three other coaches that are as good as there are in our profession."
South Carolina's Lamont Paris, Houston's Kelvin Sampson and Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger were the other finalists.
Hurley is the first UConn men's coach to earn the Naismith honor.
Under Hurley's guidance, UConn is enjoying a record setting season, recording the program's most regular season wins (36) and the most Big East wins (18) in league history. They won both the Big East regular title and tournament championships.
The Huskies are in the national title game for the second straight year for the first time in program history. They're one win away from becoming the first team in 17 years to capture back-to-back titles.
Hurley's family — wife Andrea, sons Danny and Andrew — play an important supporting role in his success as well as his basketball family.
"Without that incredible foundation, you wouldn't be able to do it," said Hurley, who earned his first Big East coach of the year honor this season.
He also made a point to thank his father Bob Sr., a Hall of Fame inductee who also was in the crowd.
"Basketball is the family business," Hurley said. "Basketball is all I've ever known. I grew up around the game. If I wasn't playing it, I was thinking about it, or I was coaching it, or always just around it.
"It's been the central figure in my life. You have a Hall of Fame father that taught you the ins and outs of it, every aspect of coaching. And it's your passion. I was raised to do this."
After Hurley finished his speech, he posed with his family for pictures, briefly met with the media before boarding the team bus and heading to State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
"I get my tablet back out and put Purdue back on," Hurley said. "I'll enjoy it for another 200 feet. Once the season ends, you appreciate everything that the program has achieved. This is truly an organization award. I've got the best staff and the best players, and that's how you win something like this."
