Izzo Advises Hurley on Lakers Coaching Opportunity
UConn coach Dan Hurley sought advice from Tom Izzo about a lucrative Lakers contract. Both coaches prepare to meet in the NCAA Sweet 16 this Friday.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Tom Izzo has declined several chances to coach in the NBA, including offers from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks.
When the Los Angeles Lakers proposed a six-year, $70 million contract to UConn coach Dan Hurley in 2024, Hurley reached out to Izzo for guidance.
"I told him to seriously look at it because I could see where college basketball was going," Izzo told The Associated Press on Monday. "But I said, I would hate to lose him because I think he's all that is right about college basketball. He cares about the kids. He cares about the game. He has to care about the game because of his dad."
Bob Hurley Sr. achieved significant success, winning over two dozen state championships at St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, New Jersey, and developing numerous Division I college players.
This Friday night, Izzo and third-seeded Michigan State will compete against Hurley and the second-seeded Huskies in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.
Hurley, 53, is in his eighth season at UConn and has secured consecutive national championships in 2023-24. He boasts a 17-5 record in the NCAA tournament, with a winning percentage of 77.3%, ranking first among active coaches and fourth all-time among those with at least 15 tournament games.
Izzo, 71, has achieved an unprecedented 28 consecutive NCAA tournament bids and won an NCAA title in 2000, marking the last championship for a Big Ten team during one of his eight Final Four appearances in a distinguished Hall of Fame career.