How can a coach’s comments set the stage for another championship?
by Jeff Nussbaum
Before the confetti could settle, UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley made three statements you don’t often hear from coaches after a big win — two in his on-court postgame interview with Tracy Wolfson and a third as he accepted the national championship trophy for the second year in a row. These comments caught my attention because they didn’t just celebrate success, they also sent a powerful message that sets UConn men’s basketball up for even greater success in the future.
Here’s what Dan Hurley said to Tracy Wolfson:
“[UConn] give[s] us all the resources we need to do it like this in March and April. […] We just recruit really talented NBA players that are willing to not make it about themselves, to be a part of a winning group and to go for all the championships.”
Let’s unpack that.
First, this is the first time I’ve heard a coach thanking his school for “resources.” It wasn’t entirely clear what “resources” Hurley was referring to, though some thought it might be a reference to better pay for assistant coaches. Of course, in the name, image, and likeness (NIL) era where students can act as free agents, the ability to compensate them for their services from a collective pool is a significant draw. UConn has two well-funded NIL collectives that make the players feel like pros while they’re still in college.
Second, when I heard Hurley say that he wants “NBA players” — I wasn’t sure if he simply misspoke, meaning to say high school players. On second listen and in keeping with Hurley’s other statements — it’s clearly intentional. One of the key principles of leadership is that you build high performing teams by showing people that you’re going to get them where they want to go. By telling the world he wanted NBA players, Hurley was sending a message that he was going to make professionals out of the players who came to play for him. (Last year, three UConn players signed NBA contracts.) What better way to use millions of eyeballs to send a message to potential recruits and transfers?
And here’s what Hurley said during the postgame trophy presentation:
“For the last 25, 30 years, UConn’s been running college basketball… We’ve been running college basketball the last 30 years!”
Hurley certainly chose the right time frame — since 1999, the UConn men have won six basketball national championships — more than any other school. Although I’m sure some Kentucky, Duke, and UNC fans (each with 3 in the last 30-ish years) would have something to say about that. The UConn women, of course, have been even more dominant, as Hurley’s counterpart, Geno Auriemma, has led his team to eleven titles overall, ten of them since 1999.
Hurley wasn’t just celebrating, he was sending a message to the next generation of great college players — men and women — if you want to win a championship, come to UConn.
At the end of his on-court interview with Wolfson, Hurley joked that he and assistant coach Luke Murray might retire having won two titles in a row.
“C’mon, that can’t be true,” replied Wolfson.
“No, that’s not,” Hurley replied.
Why would he — at least message-wise, he had already done a lot of work to set UConn up for another.
