Dan Hurley Reportedly 'Close' to Accepting UConn HC Job After Kevin Ollie Firing

The Connecticut Huskies are reportedly "close" to hiring Rhode Island head coach Dan Hurley for their vacant men's basketball head coaching position, according to Jeff Jacobs of Hearst Media.

Per Jacobs and colleague David Borges, "After beginning a process to fire Kevin Ollie March 10 for 'just cause,' Hurley has been a target of UConn and there has been considerable movement on this front over the past day, according to a source close to the situation."

He's certainly become a hot name in coaching and was linked to the Huskies before Monday:

Hurley, 46, led Rhode Island to a 26-8 record, an Atlantic 10 regular-season title and a second straight trip to the NCAA tournament, where the Rams beat Oklahoma but lost to Duke. Hurley had his first coaching gig with Wagner in 2010 before taking over at Rhode Island in 2012.

Rhode Island senior E.C. Matthews spoke about the unique bond he shared with Hurley after the team fell to the Blue Devils: 

Hurley also comes from a basketball family. His brother, Bobby Hurley, was a former star for the Blue Devils and is the current head coach at Arizona State. His father, Bob Hurley, is a Hall of Fame basketball coach after a career at St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, New Jersey.

As for UConn, Ollie's tenure ended with controversy after he was fired for "just cause," with the nature of that cause remaining unknown. As Michael McCann of SI.com speculated, "The most plausible explanation for Ollie's firing is his possible connection to an NCAA investigation into UConn. As reported two months ago by the Hartford Courant, the NCAA is probing whether the Huskies' basketball program committed recruiting violations."

On the court, UConn won a national championship in 2014 under Ollie but failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament in two straight seasons. Hurley, now one of the hottest names in the coaching market, would represent a fresh start for a Huskies program in need of one.