The Los Angeles Lakers boost a coaching offer to Dan Hurley, who's rejects it.

Dan Hurley turns down Lakers coaching offer, will stay at Connecticut

UConn head coach Dan Hurley reacts to a play during a Final Four game against Alabama in April.

Connecticut coach Dan Hurley reacts to a play during a Final Four game against Alabama in April. On Monday, he decided to decline the Lakers’ offer to become their next head coach. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press)

By Dan Woike

Staff Writer

June 10, 2024 10:50 AM PT

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The Lakers’ coaching search, which took a major turn last week, marches on, the team forced to keep looking for its next head coach after surprise candidate Dan Hurley turned them down Monday to remain at UConn, people with knowledge of the decision not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to The Times.

The Lakers had been widely linked to NBA player turned podcaster and broadcaster JJ Redick before the team’s serious interest in Hurley became known on Thursday morning.

Hurley met with executive vice president and general manager Rob Pelinka and controlling owner Jeanie Buss on Friday in Los Angeles before returning to the East Coast. He was at a Billy Joel concert Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York before returning to campus Monday.

Hurley nearly joined the Lakers after accomplishing an incredibly rare feat — winning back-to-back NCAA championships. Only he, Billy Donovan and Mike Krzyzewski have won the tournament in consecutive years since John Wooden won seven straight more than 50 years ago.

Neither of those coaches had ever won three championships in a row.

It’s unknown whether the Lakers’ flirtation with Hurley will have an impact on other coaches the team has considered, a group that’s included Redick and New Orleans assistant James Borrego, who met with Lakers executives last week for in-person interviews.

The search has been conducted at Pelinka and Buss’ pace despite the outside speculation that the team had landed on Redick shortly after Ham’s firing.