Anthony: Why UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley is so volatile: ‘Level of shame that comes with losing”

[8893]

Is this a we hate Dan Hurley thread?

See, now this is exaggeration.

We all want him to succeed here; but we can all get better at our jobs. This seems to be an area where most people agree that he could, and should, be better.

 

[superjohn]

Is this a we hate Dan Hurley thread? You think he’s the only coach to blow a gasket? See Jim Boeheim. See Jim Calhoun. Bob Huggins. Mick Cronin. DH does not berate his players in public. JC and Doug Wiggins. JC and Hilton Armstrong. Once heard during a game call Kirk King “a dumb ” at the top of his lungs. Coaching is not easy

By your logic you're doing your best to turn it into a we hate Jim Calhoun thread.

 

[AntG168]

Non of us hate Hurley. It’s a difference of opinion and preference.

 

[CL82]

The only objective fact here is we are 2-8 in close games. And that is abysmal. Staff needs to be better--period

True, but we’re also 17-7 overall and the 24th ranked team in the nation so the coaching staff must be doing something right too. And yeah, we are Connecticut so being ranked 24th in the nation isn’t our long term goal, but we’ve come a long way in a short time.

Again, be wary of that “2–8 in close games” metric. That’s been one of the knocks against Auriemma, that he loses close games. An alternative way to view those facts is that when he loses it isn’t by very much. Personally I’m not ready to jump onboard the Dan chokes in clothes games mythology quite yet but again agree to disagree.

 

[BlueDogs]

Dan is a mercurial guy who gets himself out of control and emotions take over. Passion is an excuse for a lack of control. Passion means dedication to doing everything you can to achieve your objectives. The fact that he intensely fears the feeling of losing, says a lot. It also explains why our players perform the way they do. It's not about winning, Its about not losing, That is a formula that doesn't work. They have to love winning so much they will leave it all on the floor, loss be damned. That's when the magic happens.

 

[ucp990411]

By your logic you're doing your best to turn it into a we hate Jim Calhoun thread.

You have to be kidding. I know the guy a little and I love him as a coach but more importantly as a person. What I am saying is that people need to ease up on DH. Ever coach? I have and believe me I did things that I am embarrassed about.

 

[JMick]

You have to be kidding. I know the guy a little and I love him as a coach but more importantly as a person. What I am saying is that people need to ease up on DH. Ever coach? I have and believe me I did things that I am embarrassed about.

What comments do you take issue with? It's been a pretty civil conversation and no one is dumping on him.

 

[husky429]

Ever coach? I have and believe me I did things that I am embarrassed about.

Were you paid millions to represent a program on a national stage? I am assuming no. Every UConn fan should hold the coach to the highest standard--it's what he's paid for.

 

[8893]

You have to be kidding. I know the guy a little and I love him as a coach but more importantly as a person. What I am saying is that people need to ease up on DH. Ever coach? I have and believe me I did things that I am embarrassed about.

What comments do you take issue with? It's been a pretty civil conversation and no one is dumping on him.

NB: My "body parts in the basement" line was intended as a humorous exaggeration. Slight.

 

[August_West]

Look at Mick Cronin's career... I would argue that his teams have been good very good actually, and I think that he'll break through and win the big one at UCLA but I'm willing to bet that over the course of his career he has mellowed out a bit.

It’s an apt comparison overall I think. And mick is obviously a great coach.

But I didn’t watch Cincinnati games religiously so I don’t know if mick went after his own ( albeit stupid) fans not once, but even a week later after a damn win.

That’s crossing the rubicon.

I don’t agree with him engaging them in the moment,let it go, but I can moderately understand it, tough loss for fans, tough loss for team, tough loss for coach.

but that being said a week later blowing a sarcastic kiss from the bench with the game still going to the area where those two fans were a week later during a win , and then looking for them in the tunnel is the stuff that scares the hell out of me.

 

[HuskyHawk]

It’s an apt comparison overall I think. And mick is obviously a great coach.

But I didn’t watch Cincinnati games religiously so I don’t know if mick went after his own ( albeit stupid) fans not once, but even a week later after a damn win.

That’s crossing the rubicon.

I don’t agree with him engaging them in the moment,let it go, but I can moderately understand it, tough loss for fans, tough loss for team, tough loss for coach.

but that being said a week later blowing a sarcastic kiss from the bench with the game still going to the area where those two fans were a week later during a win , and then looking for them in the tunnel is the stuff that scares the hell out of me.

I appreciate Hurley's extreme enthusiasm for the program and for winning at UConn. He seems to acknowledge he sometimes goes to far, but on the whole the kids love playing for him. He puts it all out there. I can live with the sideline antics during games.

But I'd be lying if I didn't think there was a little too much NJ tough guy in his act. He's not a 17 year old hood rat (and probably never was). He's a 49 year old professional, and doesn't need to respond to insults like he's Tony Soprano. He should lose that instinct. “A couple of fans were yelling ‘(Bleep) you, Hurley, you suck,” Hurley said. “So I yelled back at them. If you’re going to yell at me, and you’re 100 feet away, behind layers of people — that’s some coward (stuff). But I understand. It’s part of the deal. But I’ll say, too, that you may hear something back from me. I won’t just walk away.” Note the 100 feet away, suggesting he'd potentially get in a physical altercation if they were closer. This is not the right answer. You walk away because it's the professional thing to do and you have something to lose that those guys don't. Tell security. Let them handle it.

 

[Chief00]

I don't know whether or not his antics lead to all the close losses. I haven't ever said that. I don't really care what he does as long as we win games.

Our offense is actually higher rated than our defense, so that's kind of an irrelevant point.

Coaching is much more complicated than "go get a good look" after a time out. For one, we don't always get good looks. I don't know how we rank, but it doesn't look good. But even if we DO, we're still missing the shots and losing. Our players aren't prepared to make those shots, maybe the wrong guys are taking those shots, we're certainly not composed in crunch time... again, much more complicated than "get an open shot." A high school JV coach could draw up a play to post up Sanogo late in a game. That's the easy part. Who, where, when and how are the details that coach is getting paid millions to do a better job with than any other coach could.

There's also the kind of players you recruit years before those games even happen. Have we recruited closers? Why are there such tremendous skill gaps on our roster? We're missing a ballhandler, have one too few shooters, etc.

What have we done to prepare in practice all off-season? Do we do 90-second drills with refs? Are we practicing our endgame plays? It certainly doesn't seem like our guys are prepared, but maybe we have. Only the coaching staff really knows the answer to that.

Does our staff prepare defensive adjustments in advance? Do we even MAKE defensive adjustments? Why do they take so long to make (see: Kadary getting 17 points before we started doubling, and another 10 more before we doubled from the high side).

What adjustments to the adjustments are we making?

What are we doing to prepare players to perform well under intense pressure instead of clamming up?

Anyone giving you an easy answer is delusional. Any 1 or 2 of these things could make the difference, or maybe something else entirely. It isn't just a simple answer of "get an open shot" there are 100s of factors that go into prepping to win close games.

The only objective fact here is we are 2-8 in close games. And that is abysmal. Staff needs to be better--period.

I agree with some of your points but thinking our offense is ahead of our defense - is clearly not the case.

 

[CL82]

Note the 100 feet away, suggesting he'd potentially get in a physical altercation if they were closer.

Disagree with this characterization. He said nothing which indicating that he would get in a physical altercation if he was closer. He just pointed them out that it is a heck of a lot easier to shout at people from 100 feet away than to say the same things face to face. He’s not wrong. (FWIW, I have used this element of human nature to de-escalate situations.)

 

[8893]

Disagree with this characterization. He said nothing which indicating that he would get in a physical altercation if he was closer. He just pointed them out that it is a heck of a lot easier to shout at people from 100 feet away than to say the same things face to face. He’s not wrong. (FWIW, I have used this element of human nature to de-escalate situations.)

Interesting.

Do you also employ the blowing-kisses-and-stalking-in-tunnel-a-week-later follow-up method?

 

[CL82]

Interesting.

Do you also employ the blowing-kisses-and-stalking-in-tunnel-a-week-later follow-up method?

Disagree with your use of the word stalking but no.

 

[CL82]

Since we are, collaterally, talking about ref management and Jim Calhoun I thought you guys would get a kick out of this article quoting Old Big East ref Ray Perone talking about Calhoun riding him about calls.

“Later in the game (Calhoun) was literally begging for a technical foul — he wanted to get thrown out,” Perone, a longtime Bridgewater resident, recalled. “I said, ‘Coach, if I have to watch this garbage, you have to stay and watch it.’ He smiled and he got it — he moved on. It’s about your personality and managing their personalities.”

 

[8893]

Disagree with your use of the word stalking but no.

I’m just playing here at this point, but it’s fun seeing you get your Jersey on. Especially with the game we have tonight. It’s putting me in the right mindset.

I’m gonna headbutt someone just for the hell of it.

 

[CL82]

I’m just playing here at this point, but it’s fun seeing you get your Jersey on. Especially with the game we have tonight. It’s putting me in the right mindset.

I’m gonna headbutt someone just for the hell of it.

Um, you aren’t watching at home, are you?

 

[August_West]

I’m just playing here at this point, but it’s fun seeing you get your Jersey on. Especially with the game we have tonight. It’s putting me in the right mindset.

I’m gonna headbutt someone just for the hell of it.

who do you want me to headbutt? ( because lord knows you won’t go with me ;-)

I’ll do it as long as cl82 posts bail.

 

[Friarsnoop]

I've seen Hurley since he started at URI. He was always a good coach, but his behavior at times would cause him to lose focus and cost them a number of games, including at least two to Providence. A fellow coach (guess) talked to him about the difference between being passionate and out of control. He was much better his last two years at URI, and it showed in the results. He seemed to carry it over for the most part, but this year it appears from three outside that he's reverted to his early URI behavior. It's not just technicals, but there's no way you don't miss things when you're like that. I honestly wondered if his father talked to him about it, because he seemed much better on Sunday.

 

[8893]

who do you want me to headbutt? ( because lord knows you won’t go with me ;-)

I’ll do it as long as cl82 posts bail.

First ref who calls a foul on us.

 

[tcf15]

We all love Calhoun but he was becoming unhinged towards the end and was in danger of having a bobby knight moment, especially with the media coverage becoming more critical of crazy coaches.

Not all the way through this thread yet, so maybe it was mentioned, but he kind of did - when he gave a light gut punch to DeAndre Daniels during the 2011-12 season. Just was lucky enough that social media wasn’t as crazy then as it is right now.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Disagree with this characterization. He said nothing which indicating that he would get in a physical altercation if he was closer. He just pointed them out that it is a heck of a lot easier to shout at people from 100 feet away than to say the same things face to face. He’s not wrong. (FWIW, I have used this element of human nature to de-escalate situations.)

You have more faith than I do. I’ve certainly seen drunk angry fans engage coaches and players at close range. They rely on the shield of those folks having too much to lose to retaliate. If James Harden punches you, you‘re rich. The difference here is, I don’t think Hurley would easily restrain himself if said heckler was 15 feet away. For his sake and ours, he needs to channel his inner Jesus and have a turn the other cheek mindset. I have little doubt his wife reminds him.

 

[CL82]

. I honestly wondered if his father talked to him about it, because he seemed much better on Sunday.

He probably head butted him.

#toughbuttfair

 

[CL82]

You have more faith than I do. I’ve certainly seen drunk angry fans engage coaches and players at close range. They rely on the shield of those folks having too much to lose to retaliate. If James Harden punches you, you‘re rich. The difference here is, I don’t think Hurley would easily restrain himself if said heckler was 15 feet away. For his sake and ours, he needs to channel his inner Jesus and have a turn the other cheek mindset. I have little doubt his wife reminds him.

I may be in the minority, or perhaps the silent majority, but I just don’t see Hurley going to town on the fan.

[Shrugs]