HOUSTON — Danny Hurley has been in the shadows most of his career.
Hurley was in the background as the youngest son when his father Bobby Sr. won 26 state championships as a high school coach at St. Anthony’s of Jersey City and was rewarded when he was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
He was in the background as a younger brother when Bobby Hurley Jr. was an All- America point guard who helped lead Duke to two national championships in 1991 and 1992.
He struggled as a Seton Hall guard and actually called a press conference to announce he was quitting the sport.
My brother had to live up to my father,” he said. “But I had to live up to both of them. That was kind of tough. When I came to Seton Hall, I had all sorts of goals for myself. By my junior year, I figured it was my turn to be a great player and put- up big numbers.”
Instead, he played just two games his junior year, shooting 2 for 17, 2 for 9 from the three, and 1 for 2 from the line. The decision came after “Hurley Day” at the Garden when the Hall played St. John’s. Hurley was miserable. He didn’t leave his room after the Johnnies game for four or five days. He couldn’t look people in the eyes. “I felt they were looking at me as a failure,” he said. “It’s hard to watch a 20-year-old kid crack under public scrutiny. Hurley chose not to become a train wreck and get his life together. He spent the rest of the year watching games on TV, practicing with the team and doing a little coaching at Anthony’s.
Then he came back and beat the odds and got his own one shining moment..
he averaged double figures his senior year and then got into coaching, transforming St. Benedict’s of Jersey City into a national power, rebuilding programs at Wagner and Rhode Island and then turning UConn into a national championship. Hurley told us as much when the Huskies rejoined the Big East five years ago and quickly reestablished itself as one of the alpha teams in the undervalued, but highly successful Big East.
“You better get us now,” he said during his first year in Storrs.
UConn was the best team in the country after the PK 85 in Portland in November and again in March when they won all six of their tournament games by double figures with an average margin of 20 points, beating perennial West Coast power Gonzaga by 28 the West Region at Las Vegas and ACC power Miami 72-59 in the semi-finals before dusting off San Diego State, 76-59, in the finals.
But it wasn’t always easy. The Huskies went through a difficult stretch at the start of league play, losing six of eight. Hurley took his share of heat over that. “I remember everyone in the national media that took shots at me.” he said.
Hurley is fueled by that chip on his shoulder. Why not? He’s a Jersey boy who’s never been afraid to speak his mind. And he has some of Bob Knight and his dad in his personality during games.
‘”I think people — obviously for me I’ve had my own path, my own journey. ” he said. “I think a lot of people — I’ve probably done it to myself by being such an intense, fiery coach, that people have always focused more on my antics on the sidelines, than my total body of work over the source of my career.
“There’s not many coaches that were as successful as my teams were at St. Benedict’s, Wagner and Rhode Island. Not many coaches who won 25 game or more at three different programs and now have a national championship.
“So obviously there’s a certain level of validation that’s going to come from this. But I just feel like my career in coaching, even prior to this, i think most coaches– maybe i don’t do a great job kissing the media’s ass and presenting this image that’s incredibly likeable but I am who I am. I’m from Jersey City and this is how people from Jersey City act.”
His team is a reflection of who he is.
They had five future pros on the roster and could beat you on offense and defense. Adama Sanogo, their 6-9 center, was the most dominant player on the floor against San Diego State, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds and was an easy choice for Most Outstanding Player. Point guard Tristan Newton also had 19 while sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins, who just declared for the NBA draft, added 16 for the 31-8 Huskies, who limited the Aztecs to just 32. percent shooting.
Sanogo will likely join Hawkins in the NBA draft. Forwards Alex Karaban, Andre Jackson, 7-3 center Donovan Clingan are waiting in the wings along with incoming 6-6 guard Stephon Castle, a McDonald’s All America, to fuel UConn as they make a run at back to backs and a sixth championship in school history.
Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun owns three of those. “He’s had a hand in this one too,” Hurley said.. “I wish he could have been here for this because I know he’s been a big part of helping us get here. When you’re in that Werth Champions Center and you see what Jim and Geno have accomplished with all those titles, it leaves an impression.
“The four national championship trophies helped us with recruiting, but we actually removed them about 18 months ago when we felt like we had a team capable of winning a fifth/ We didn’t want them around until we’ve got our own.
And it’s just when you’re in a place like that, it’s a little empry until you feel like you can join the club. i feel like now we’ve held up part of the bargain that the women’s team has been carrying for a long time since forever. And coach Calhoun and Kevin Ollie and Geno, it feels good to accomplish what they have accomplished.”
