Lakers To Meet With UConn Coach Dan Hurley On Friday In LA

The Lakers may be turning to a rising college coach to try to rescue their franchise from mediocrity. But will UConn coach Dan Hurley even be willing to try?

That’s the question as Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and GM Rob Pelinka intend to meet with Hurley on Friday in Los Angeles, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Yes, Hurley is flying to LA. 

The Lakers have a lengthy and massive offer ready and waiting for the back-to-back reigning NCAA championship coach, per Wojnarowski. But sources have told Hoops Wire they strongly doubt Hurley will take the job. He will, however, at least listen to the Lakers’ pitch, it seems.

Hurley reportedly met with his players in Storrs, Conn., to make them aware that he intended to speak to the Lakers.

Until Thursday morning, the Lakers were supposedly leaning toward former NBA shooting guard JJ Redick as their next coach, with New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego also believed to be in the mix.

But it’s become quite apparent that Hurley is their man, and the Lakers are strongly pushing that message out to the heavy hitters in the media. But again, sources have told Hoops Wire that the Lakers are making this sound more significant than it really is.

Hurley has a good thing going at UConn and makes a lot of money. Some suspect taking a job with an aging star in LeBron James would be more than he could handle. There is much work to be done with the roster, and Hurley has never played or coached in the NBA.

It’s one thing to tell a bunch of 19-year-old kids what to do. It’s quite another to tell a 40-year-old legend.

Nonetheless, LA has been targeting Hurley since the beginning of their search, Wojnarowski reported.

“Rob Pelinka and Buss are eager to formally discuss with Hurley their vision of marrying his dominant program — built upon both his tactical acumen and elite player development — with the storied Lakers’ brand,” Wojnarowski wrote, citing sources.