Dan Hurley鈥檚 new memoir, 鈥�,鈥� co-written with veteran sports journalist , has become a ahead of the UConn Huskies鈥� 2025 season.
O鈥機onnor is known for his unauthorized biographies of sports icons like Bill Belichick and Derek Jeter. He said this rare collaboration with the UConn men鈥檚 basketball coach offered a chance to capture the more vulnerable side of a fiery champion who won back-to-back national titles in 2023 and 2024.
Exploring Hurley鈥檚 humanity
鈥淚 was hoping this book would bring out the more human qualities of Dan as a basketball coach,鈥� O鈥機onnor said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 his toughest critic and sometimes even suffers from imposter syndrome 鈥� and that鈥檚 hard to believe for a coach who鈥檚 won back-to-back national championships.鈥�
O鈥機onnor has known the Hurley family since childhood. He refers to the family as 鈥渂asketball royalty.鈥� Hurley鈥檚 father, , coached St. Anthony High School in New Jersey and turned the program into a national powerhouse 鈥� earning himself a spot as 1 of only 6 high school basketball coaches in The Basketball Hall-of-Fame.
Dan鈥檚 brother, , became one of history鈥檚 most celebrated college basketball players at Duke University and later went on to become a high NBA first-round draft pick.
Despite that luminous family name, O鈥機onnor said Dan鈥檚 rise was anything but handed to him.
Hurley spent nearly a decade coaching high school basketball in Newark before climbing through the ranks at Wagner College and The University of Rhode Island. 鈥淗e had to earn his way to the top,鈥� O鈥機onnor said. 鈥淧eople forget that.鈥�
A coach shaped by struggle
Hurley鈥檚 path to success included a public battle with mental health.
O鈥機onnor said Hurley鈥檚 openness about those struggles has helped him connect deeply with his players. 鈥淗e鈥檚 opened his door to them 24/7 if they ever have any issues off the court,鈥� O鈥機onnor said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think his players would play nearly as hard for him if they didn鈥檛 think he cared about them as human beings.鈥�
Hurley continues to manage his mental well-being with journaling, meditation and yoga. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a constant struggle,鈥� O鈥機onnor said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 talked about that.鈥�
A fiery sideline presence, but a cheerleader for his players
Though Hurley鈥檚 emotional sideline outbursts have made him a lightning rod, O鈥機onnor insisted they mask a different reality. 鈥淗e never berates an individual player during a game,鈥� O鈥機onnor said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 there as a corner man, as a cheerleader. He remembers how it felt to be berated as a student athlete in front of thousands of people.鈥�
Hurley, O鈥機onnor said, is aware he sometimes goes too far. 鈥� was over the top,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 still working on that.鈥�
Temptations and loyalty
Now in his seventh season leading UConn, Hurley has only been tempted once to coach somewhere else, according to O鈥機onnor. The NBA鈥檚 in 2024. 鈥淭hat was real,鈥� O鈥機onnor said, adding that Hurley seriously considered jumping to the Lakers, but eventually said no out of loyalty to his players at UConn.
O鈥機onnor added that the two-time national champion believes he needs more time to realize his dream UConn legacy. 鈥淚 asked him, 鈥榃hen you leave UConn, will you have more national championships than Jim Calhoun鈥檚 three?鈥� And he said, 鈥榊es, I believe so.鈥欌��
Dislike of the way modern teams are built
Hurley鈥檚 love of coaching has also been tested by the changing economics of college sports. O鈥機onnor said the new landscape 鈥� defined by 鈥� isn鈥檛 one Hurley enjoys. 鈥淗e just thought recruiting used to be about building relationships,鈥� O鈥機onnor said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 now building a roster with your checkbook, and he hates that.鈥�
It was that dislike of the modern pressures of college coaching that, O鈥機onnor said, had Hurley considering stepping away from coaching this offseason. 鈥淏ut, those feelings passed,鈥� he said.
Mentorship and maturity
Hurley鈥檚 emotional growth has been shaped, in part, by mentorship from UConn women鈥檚 basketball coach Geno Auriemma. After Hurley drew criticism for his behavior at the Maui Invitational, Auriemma reached out. 鈥溾�業f you鈥檙e only coaching to win a national championship, you鈥檝e lost your way,鈥� O鈥機onnor said, regarding what Auriemma told Hurley in that call.
He said Hurley took the message to heart with the help of his wife, Andrea, and a few trusted mentors.
鈥淚t鈥檒l be fascinating to watch how Dan carries himself this coming season,鈥� O鈥機onnor said.
