Dan Hurley Explains Trending Video of Referee Exchange in UConn's March Madness Upset vs. Duke

UConn coach Dan Hurley wasn't trying to antagonize referee Roger Ayers during their viral moment following Braylon Mullins' game-winner in the Elite Eight victory over Duke.

During the frenzy, Hurley stares Ayers down and they appear to briefly touch heads:

Hurley addressed the situation on The Triple Option podcast. He said he wasn't challenging Ayers in any way, adding he generally has a good relationship with the official.

The two-time national champion quipped he thought Ayers was "was coming over to chest bump me to celebrate the shot" with the game effectively over:

ESPN's Seth Greenberg already provided Ayers' thoughts on the matter, and the veteran ref was equally puzzled as to why this turned into a story.

"I talked to Roger today. He said, 'What are you talking about?' He literally didn't know what I was talking about," Greenberg said Monday on SportsCenter. "He said, 'Nothing happened. The ball went in, I was running back, they were celebrating. Danny leaned in to say something to me, I said something to him, it was absolutely nothing.'"

This is a case where Hurley's reputation is hurting him.

The coach is known for his demonstrative reactions on the sideline, and some have argued he crossed a line when interacting with the referees.

Hurley and Ayers squaring up made for an odd visual, but it didn't look as though the coach was fully in the wrong. He didn't appear to say anything to draw Ayers' attention, nor did he go out of his way to approach him. Based on the footage, Ayers seems to initiate the brief exchange.

The referee gestures Hurley back toward the UConn bench and then gets closer so that he can perhaps communicate with the coach in a loud arena.

Hurley's stare could be interpreted as intimidating or hostile, but that was likely the adrenaline more than anything else.

Ayers won't be officiating the men's Final Four, which is an understandable reaction from the NCAA. His presence may have caused an unnecessary distraction on the season's biggest stage.

Beyond that, there aren't any other consequences required.