LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Dan Hurley has rejected a Los Angeles Lakers offer to become their next head coach in favor of chasing a third straight national title with the University of Connecticut, multiple media outlets reported on Monday.
The Lakers offer was reportedly a six-year, $70 million contract to lead the team and their stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Hurley left “extremely impressed” with the Lakers front office but decided to stay with the Huskies, ESPN reported.
The Lakers parted ways with head coach Darvin Ham after the team fell in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs to the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
Before the surprising news of the Lakers offer to Hurley came out, the team had reportedly been considering former player and current ESPN analyst JJ Redick to take the reins of the team which last won a championship in 2020.
The Lakers are expected to resume bringing in candidates for interviews with the hope of hiring a coach by the time of the NBA draft later this month, ESPN reported.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Ken Ferris)
