Lakers Icon Magic Johnson 'Excited and Thrilled' About Dan Hurley Rumors amid HC Buzz
Los Angeles Lakers legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson is thrilled at the prospect of the team bringing in UConn men's basketball head coach (and back-to-back national champion) Dan Hurley to town to lead L.A.
Johnson also praised Hurley on Jimmy Kimmel Live Thursday night.
"I want the coach to be Hurley," he said. "...He has a championship background, he's great with offensive and defensive strategy, I think that players will respect him, and he's tough."
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday that the Lakers are "targeting Dan Hurley as the franchise's next coach and are preparing a massive, long-term contract offer" for the 51-year-old.
Hurley has been a head coach at the high school and collegiate levels since 2001. He first coached St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, New Jersey from 2001-2010 before going to Division I and landing at Wagner from 2010-2012. He moved onto Rhode Island (2012-2018) before heading to UConn (2018-present).
Hurley sports a lifetime 292-163 record with six NCAA tournament appearances and two national titles. His Huskies have won all 12 of their March Madness games by double digits over the past two years as well. Last year's team was exceptional, with a 37-3 record (18-2 Big East), a conference title and a national title as well.
Hurley's reached the mountaintop at college, so a lucrative offer to jump to the Lakers would obviously be enticing. He has the backing of a big name in Johnson, which certainly helps matters.
As for the potential move, John Fanta of FOX Sports revealed that Hurley has spoken with his team to let everyone know that he's in talks with the Lakers.
This also represents a big shift from what has been previously reported, with ex-NBA pro and ESPN analyst JJ Redick getting a ton of buzz for the position:
However, it appears that Hurley could now be getting the gig, and that would certainly appease Johnson.
L.A. is looking for a new coach after parting ways with ex-NBA forward and assistant coach Darvin Ham after two seasons. Last year's Lakers went 46-36 and reached the playoffs as a No. 7 seed but fell to the Denver Nuggets in Round 1. L.A. went to the Western Conference Finals as a No. 7 seed the year before but got swept by Denver.
