Fresh off his second consecutive men’s college basketball championship, UConn Coach Dan Hurley sees his life and career in holistic and humbling terms.
“It really hasn’t changed the things that are important to us and we treat our program like they are family and my family keeps me grounded,” he says.
When he speaks inclusively, Hurley means his wife Andrea and sons, Andrew and Danny - as well as the young men he and Andrea nurture and view as an extension of their nuclear family, the UConn Men’s basketball team.
And the rewards that have come with that, a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract with UConn, hasn’t changed the goals he and Andrea have pursued since they met in college more than 25 years ago.
“We approach every day just trying to serve kids,” he said. “Our purpose has been our family and to help raise kids through our basketball program and to develop holistic and successful adults. It’s me and Andrea and our team, and our lives aren’t that complicated.”
A native of the blue-collar stronghold of Jersey City, N.J. Hurley grew up in a basketball-centered family. His dad, Bob Hurley, coached high school basketball for nearly 50 years, coaching at night after working days as a probation officer. His brother Bobby Hurley was a college All-American and two-time National Champion player at Duke. He also played in the NBA for five years, and is currently the head coach at Arizona State.
Watching his dad’s devotion to coaching and his family helped cement Dan Hurley’s work ethic and devotion to his team, Andrea says.
“I’ve only known him to go 110 percent. Even in his high school coaching days he would work really long hours. I got used to that a long time ago.”
Dan was coaching at the University of Rhode Island in 2018 when he was recruited by UConn. The Connecticut team at that time was struggling after years of national dominance in college basketball. He undertook a steady rebuilding program, and led the team to its fifth national championship in 2023, only to cap that with a second title this year.
His ascension to becoming one of - if not the - top college men’s basketball coaches in the country, the couple says, is not what either of them sought out or expected when Dan first started coaching high school basketball after graduating college.
“It’s pretty easy for us because we’ve never really pursued anything in coaching for the rewards,” Dan says. “When you grow up in a place like Jersey City and you don’t come from a whole lot, then you don’t need a whole lot. You feel like your life has a purpose and our purpose has been our family.”
The couple’s son Andrew played for UConn this past year and graduated in May.
Dan and Andrea, who goes to all the UConn men’s games, say the opportunity to spend time with Andrew during the season was “incredible.”
“It’s been awesome because you miss a lot of things as a college coach, events in high school and grade school, for example, but we’ve had a chance to make up for lost time,” Dan says.
Being on the team, he adds, also helped Andrew grow as a player and a leader.
“Not only is he a good player but he really helped the team, he’s been an awesome leader in the locker room.”
Dan and Andrea moved to Glastonbury when Dan took the UConn job in part because of the town’s reputation for excellent schools and for being a vibrant community. The family is a member of St. Dunstan Parish here.
Since marrying, the couple says, they have acted as a cohesive team focused on managing their family and Dan's career together.
But Dan credits Andrea for being a steady guiding force in his life.
“What changed my life was meeting my wife Andrea. She gave me this beautiful family and she’s been the best partner that I could ever imagine and she’s helped me become a better man. She’s taken the rough edges off the guy from Jersey City.”
"We've never really pursued anything in coaching for the rewards."
You feel like your life has a purpose.