Dan Hurley and the University of Connecticut are in it for the long haul.
The head coach of UConn’s men’s basketball team has agreed to a six-year extension that guarantees him close to $33 million, ESPN reported Thursday, less than three months after leading the Huskies to their fifth national championship in the program’s history.
The new deal, which runs through the 2028-29 season, includes incentives for academic and athletic success that could potentially push the deal’s value to greater heights, according to ESPN, making Hurley one of the highest-paid coaches in men’s basketball.
Hurley expressed gratitude for both his players and the school in a statement.
“My family and I sincerely appreciate [university president] Dr. Maric, [athletic director] David Benedict and the entire administration team for the faith and trust they have bestowed upon us,” Hurley said in a statement.
“I want to thank the players and staff who helped make this climb possible. Coaching at the University of Connecticut is an honor and we intend to build on our success as one of the premier programs in college basketball.”
Following his hiring in 2018, Hurley transformed UConn from a team that was down on its luck into one of the better men’s basketball programs in the country.
Hurley has stewarded the program to four consecutive winning seasons and three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, reaffirming the Huskies as a Big East powerhouse after they re-entered the conference in 2020.
The Huskies finished 31-8 last season and were a popular pick to make a deep March Madness run as a No. 4 seed.
UConn didn’t have much trouble with any of its opponents in the tournament, winning each game by double digits, including a 76-59 victory over San Diego State in the championship contest.
The Huskies are expected to send three players to Thursday’s 2023 NBA Draft: guards Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson Jr. and center Adama Sanogo, who won the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player honors.
