Dan Hurley Is A Holy Water, Garlic Bulbs And Dragon Underwear Type Of Coach. Which Has Led To Titles For UConn

While it's easy for opposing fans to hate the antics of UConn men's basketball coach Dan Hurley as he paces the sideline watching his team battle every night to repeat as national champions, there is always a method to his madness, even if his own wife doesn't understand the hoopla surrounding it all. 

It's almost poetic to see this Huskies basketball team having to fight every night for an opportunity to win their third-straight national championship. At the center of it all is Dan Hurley, who has no problem giving officials, along with opposing fans, a piece of his mind when he sees fit. It's just who he is as a person, filled with a fierce persona that is sometimes overwhelming for those that watch. 

But, currently 22-9 on the season, there have been times during the season where this basketball team needed the crazy mentality of a man who gives everything he has as a coach, on every single night. There are plenty of college basketball fans that can't stand him, egging him on from the stands, hoping to get a reaction out of the fiery coach. 

Being the son of a legendary head coach like Bob Hurley is a task within itself, always wanting to live up to the family name, knowing that there's a level of success that needs to be attained, or you're letting the Hurley family down, at least in the eyes of the UConn head coach. His father won 28 state championships at St. Anthony's Friars, a high school in Jersey City. 

Living Up To The ‘Hurley’ Name Forced Dan Into Coaching

In that part of the country, you can't hide from the family name, but it's not as if Dan Hurley is trying to stand in the background. If anything, he's doing his best to make sure the pressure is always upon him, which certainly explains some of his antics along the sidelines after his Huskies win a big game, or lose one on the road in front of a hostile crowd. 

Dan Hurley Describes How He Dealt With Growing Up In The Shadow Of His Brother And Dad

There was a time in his life where actually playing the sport that he now dominates as a head coach was put on the backburner. A point guard for Seton Hall, not being able to live up to the on-court play that his brother Bobby had established while playing at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski and winning national Championships in 1991 and 1992, this ate Dan Hurley up. 

LANDOVER, MD - MARCH 1:  Danny Hurley #15 of the Seton Hall Pirates goes dribbles up court during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas on March 1, 1995 at USAir Arena in Landover, Maryland.  (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

It got so bad in college that opposing fans would chant ‘Bobby’s Better' every time Dan stepped to the free throw line, which was part of the reason why he left the Seton Hall team in 1993. 

Although he did return, Dan knew that dibbling the ball up the court was not going to be the direction he took, as he recently discussed with 60 Minutes. 

"I've got to make up for what I didn't achieve as a player, and I've got to make up for that right now as a coach," Hurley said. "My career eats away at me still."

I think we can all agree, after winning back-to-back national titles that the plan has worked, even though he's done some what might seem like crazy things to get here. 

Holy Water And Bags Of Garlic. Dan Hurley Is A Superstitious Guy

Look, every athlete has some type of superstitions. Whether that's not washing their underwear after a win or making sure to do every single thing the same way before each game, there's always something that drives a player to ward off some bad voodoo. 

For Dan Hurley, he certainly takes thing to a different level when it comes to pleasing the basketball gods. He's mentioned this in the past, but as he discussed again with 60 Minutes, Hurley is a coach who will do just about anything to win, or stave off some bad vibes, which I imagine he's had to do numerous times this season. 

So what type of spiritual things are we talking about? Well, it includes holy water, garlic bulbs and wearing the same ‘dragon’ underwear throughout the NCAA Tournament. Yes, don't worry, they are washed after each game by his wife, but it's clear that you do not mess with his routine, or the bad voodoo will catch up with his Huskies. 

Oh, and that suit you saw him wearing during the 2023 NCAA Tournament, it was the same every single game. You weren't going to catch him breaking the habit, which has certainly not changed, given that he's won consecutive titles. 

Dan Hurley's Wife Doesn't Get The Hoopla, But Supports Her Husband

As long as the wife is happy, than life is good, right? For Andrea Hurley, not getting caught up in all the intricacies of the game is probably the best thing for their relationship, especially when your husband can be a maniac on the sidelines. Look, being a spouse to someone who is in the coaching business is a tall task, and one that could use some separation. 

"I don’t even know what a screen is," Andrea Hurley jokingly said. 

When you listen to the First Lady of UConn men's basketball, don't expect her to care as much about the small things regarding the team. 

"One team loses. What's the big deal? It's like I always said, 'It's a 50/50 shot,'" Andrea Hurley told 60 Minutes. 

To be honest, that's probably one of the best things that keeps the family grounded. Knowing how much the sport means to the Hurley family, it's certainly not lost on her what having success at this level means for her husband. 

She also started a podcast years ago called ‘Ball Is Wife’, discussing the inner-workings of being a coaches wife, giving her a platform to tell a plethora of different stories about her upbringing in one of the most popular families in basketball. 

We are gearing up for another NCAA Tournament, with UConn and Dan Hurley looking to complete the three-peat. 

I'd imagine there will be a lot of garlic bulbs, holy water and whatever else Hurley can come up with to help his team to the Final Four in San Antonio. 

Until then, winning the Big East tournament is up next, and Dan Hurley will be the star of the show, whether he likes it or not.