The UConn Huskies are preparing for what looks to be an intense battle in the NCAA Tournament between two programs with multiple championships in their history, currently helmed by two of college basketball’s most intense coaches.
It will be Dan Hurley attempting to guide UConn to a third Sweet 16 appearance in the past four seasons, against Mick Cronin, looking to score an upset with his UCLA Bruins. Cronin and Hurley are quite familiar with one another from previous days, coaching against each other, and have a lot of mutual respect for each other.
They’re both known for their passion for coaching their respective teams, which often includes sideline drama and heated confrontations with the referees. Several weeks ago, Hurley made headlines with his quick double technical, ejection, and $25,000 fine in his team’s loss to Marquette.
Ahead of their second-round clash, both coaches met with the media to discuss their coaching styles, with Cronin basically telling their critics to “get a life” regarding the way he and Hurley approach the game with such intensity. Based on pregame comments, Hurley appeared to agree.
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“I think when you look at the best programs, the best organizations, the best coaches, there’s high degrees of accountability in those organizations. There’s high degrees of responsibility, discipline, proficiency, productivity, and work ethic and standards, so holding 18, 19, 20-year-old young men to those standards on a daily basis is what forges championship teams,” Hurley told reporters.
“It’s also what helps develop young men that will enter the adult world and be successful people, be able to not only function at a high level, but be productive, and lead successful lives,” he also said.
Hurley mentioned that he admires and studies other coaches who balance “holding their players to the highest standard,” where players have a “respectful fear of their coach but also love playing for their coach.”
Hurley pointed to successful coaches, including former Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban, Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, and former Villanova men’s basketball coach Jay Wright, indicating “they ran really, really tight ships” at their programs.
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Before becoming UConn’s head coach in 2018, Hurley coached for the University of Rhode Island for six seasons, going 113-82 and leading them to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in his final two seasons. Cronin became UCLA’s head coach in 2019, after coaching Cincinnati for 13 years.
Both the Huskies and Bruins head into Sunday night’s game with injury concerns surrounding their starting lineups. Hurley said that both starting guard Silas Demary Jr. and Jaylin Stewart were questionable to play, but were “pushing it to the max” to be available. Meanwhile, Cronin indicated they were unsure if leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau would play.
All three players missed their respective teams’ wins in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but having them back on the court could provide a significant boost.
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