The UConn Huskies were able to continue their impressive winning ways on Saturday against the Providence Friars. However, UConn head coach Dan Hurley took a bit of the shine away from his team after the game, getting into a nasty interaction with a Providence fan that happened to be caught on camera.
After the 74-60 victory for the Huskies, Hurley got into a war of words with the Providence fans in attendance. He then pointed out one fan in particular, telling him to come down to the court.
“Look at this guy, come here, come right here, you’ll get hurt,” Hurley appeared to say.
No love lost between Dan Hurley and Friartown.
His exchange with a fan: “look at this guy…come here, you’ll get hurt.” #pcbb @NBC10 pic.twitter.com/pcVq9fyJQz
— Kevin Moore (@KMooreTV) March 10, 2024
You can’t really tell what the fan may have said to Hurley to provoke that kind of threat from the UConn coach. But regardless, it obviously isn’t the greatest look for a coach to be getting into any kind of back-and-forth with a fan.
Many around the college basketball world naturally had plenty to say about Hurley’s interaction on Saturday.
Real tough guy when you are being escorted by security
— ScoutsFocus (@scoutsfocus) March 10, 2024
He acts like a drunk college kid it's embarrassing
— Himothy English (@Himothyenglish) March 10, 2024
He really has a problem. This is 2X now … can’t threaten people as a coach. Asking for some crazy to do something stupid https://t.co/5Ikr4gvBGY
— Matt Perrault (@sportstalkmatt) March 10, 2024
Can’t wait for him to complain about how mean providence fans were. Hurley is a child https://t.co/qGuyd7pzbS
— Creighton Basketball Fully Loaded (@CU_Fully_Loaded) March 10, 2024
Great coach no denying that also a wannabe tough guy and a scumbag, no denying that either. https://t.co/IrNwlQEMi8
— Blake D. Moore (@Bcrossover15) March 10, 2024
Hurley addressed this situation in his postgame press conference, doubling down and saying that the fan “shouldn’t have been talking at that point”.
“Just wait for the game to be over and walk out,” said Hurley. “If he wasn’t barking at me I wouldn’t have been saying anything to him. The fan was just saying ‘You suck, you guys stink and haven’t won anything’. I told him that I have a National Championship ring, we won the regular season as the Big East champions. You should shut up. You shouldn’t be running your mouth at that point in the game. Just go.”
Dan Hurley w message to vocal Friar fans- go home. pic.twitter.com/HIW3rWcyo0
— Kevin McNamara (@KevinMcNamara33) March 10, 2024
Whether you like Hurley or not, he is undoubtedly unapologetically himself. But it does come off as a bit childish for a National Championship-winning coach to get into this kind of argument just because a fan said “You suck”.
[Kevin Moore on Twitter/X, Kevin McNamara on Twitter/X]
