March 20, 2026, 7:42 p.m. ET
Dan Hurley has anxiety.
That’s not breaking news.
The UConn basketball coach is known for his explosive sideline demeanor, especially when interacting with officials and opposing fans.
But even after winning two national championships, Hurley is still operating on pins and needles as the second-seeded Huskies open the NCAA Tournament against Furman at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“The pre-game jitters, night before a game where you don’t sleep, none of that stuff dissipates by accomplishment,” the Jersey City native, Seton Hall alum and part-time Sea Girt resident said in his pregame press conference. “If anything, it creates an even higher standard in your mind of what you want to achieve, which, you know, it definitely churns.”
Even after reaching the top of his profession, there’s a lot churning within Hurley. The Big East fined him $25,000 for a confrontation with official John Gaffney during UConn’s final regular season game, a 68-62 loss at Marquette. Hurley got within a whisker of Gaffney’s face but stopped just short of making contact.
But he said it’s actually easier to coach, mental-health wise, in March Madness’s elimination-game environment.
“You have more anxiety November, December, January where you worry more about losing a game and the domino effect that it could have now on dragging you through a miserable season,” he explained. “Whereas when you get to this time of year, it’s like, you know, win or the season’s over is kind of, in a weird way, it’s kind of freeing, where you just go out, you play your heart out, you coach your heart out, and the next day, if you win, it’s survive advance and some level of joy. If you lose, you’re not picking the pieces up the next day. The pieces are gone.”
The UConn-Furman tip is 10 p.m. Friday. The game is airing live on TBS (stream with Sling).
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
