The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - The Big Suey: The Dan Hurley Exclusive

Episode Date: June 13, 2024

Can you "out-masculine" rain? Well, Tony sure seems to think so. The crew continues weather talk as Biscayne Boulevard looks like it will be back underwater later today. Also, is Dan racist AND sexist? Plus, we have an exclusive with Dan Hurley in his first interview since turning down the Los Angeles Lakers to stay at UCONN. In a surprisingly honest and vulnerable conversation, Hurley shares how he went about making his "gut-wrenching" decision, the embarrassment he felt over being the center of the story, what he heard on TV that didn't actually apply to his conversations, whether or not he learned if LeBron will be a Laker next year, why he calls one of his players Stewgotz, and how his family felt about the decision. Plus, Stugotz tries to guess Hurley's Top 5 Billy Joel Songs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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with the new Smarties Cookie Collision Blizzard. It's the sound of the Smarties Blizzard plus cookie dough. Hurry him for the new Smarties Cookie Collision Blizzard for a limited time at DQ. Happy tastes good. Welcome to the Big Sui presented by DraftKings. Why are you listening to this show? The podcast that seems very similar to the other Dan LeBattard podcast.

I'm sorry, I'm not gonna apologize for that. In fact, the only difference seems to be this imaging. I have been tempted in restaurants just walking past tables to grab somebody's fries that if they're just there, that hasn't happened to you guys? I've done it. And now here's the marching man to nowhere,

fat face and the habitual liar. Stu Gotts is in maximum production role. I haven't seen him this way in a while. This is what it would have been if he had been the program director at WFAN, like when news breaks, you got Dan Hurley coming on a little bit, but also we need rain delay fillers.

We don't have our normal crew of people. The video team, members of the video team heroically made it in, but it has been, this is a legitimate thing here in South Florida, even though right now, if you look outside, it's almost totally sunny. Gorgeous. Over the last 24 hours, what we've experienced here

is genuine flooding inconvenience. And I'm not joking when I say when I looked at a map on the weather channel, it just showed how much rain was about to fall. The bottom half of Florida was coast to coast underwater that made it look like there was just land under the entirety of the ocean. Chris, I'm thinking about playing 18 today. You want to join me? We can get nine in. It did dry up quickly. I thought I was going to get epic flooding on Biscayne

Boulevard because I had it going out. I barely got onto the highway. There were cars stuck getting onto the highway. And so I'm like, surely if it rains all overnight, this is going to be hard to get to in the morning. I'm going to have to bring either a Jeep or a hovercraft in order to get in. But smooth sailing.

Smooth sailing on the way in. Yeah, pretty good, pretty good. We handled the thing. Pretty good. Yeah, we handled all of that pretty well under the circumstances and now the hurricanes will come. Yes, Jessica. We are monitoring a situation right now, Dan,

according to the local weatherman. The forecast for today, quote, is the last thing we want to see. More rain and heavy storms again this afternoon. This is a model output and the model output is showing heavy bands of rain all over South Florida. So you guys will want wanna probably wrap this show up and get home before the flash flooding continues because right now, even a tiny modicum of rain is going to put Biscayne Boulevard back underwater.

You don't wanna be out there when that happens. Flash floods are very dangerous. Do not drive through the water, okay? The National Weather Service has been very adamant to get the message out. Don't drive through standing water. Even six inches of water can wash away a small car and most vehicular deaths during rainstorms happen

with people inside their cars getting stranded. So be careful out there, folks. Don't listen to Dan is what I'm saying. Stay home crew, very concerned with the rain today. Are those sharks? She is right about everything that she is saying. I know that in South Florida, concerned with the rain today. Are those sharks? She is right about everything that she is saying. I know that in South Florida we can be flippant about these things and especially because

as I mentioned- You think you can outmasculine the rain? I've been listening to this entire show. It's not true. You can't do that. Not today. Can't do that, Tony. The great ones say not today?

Yeah. I'm here. We both just said not today. They did somehow get here for today's canceled show, but everything she's saying is the correct thing to say. The reason there are weather emergencies is not just because the government of Florida is trying to make sure they can get all the money they can any time they declare a state of emergency, though that is true. It's also because it's wildly dangerous out there

and flash flooding is, you're just walking around, what's the big deal? And then you're dead. What's the big deal? I'm just driving along and then your car is floating in a way that you can't get out of because you didn't buy one of those emergency things I did for every emergency situation that just-

The puncture thing? That breaks your glass, yes. But somebody stole it the other day so I don't even have it anymore. Oh no. You can use a seatbelt though, Dan. Just somebody stole it the other day, so I don't even have it anymore. Oh, no. You can use a seatbelt though, Dan. Just get the seatbelt off. No.

Put it on the pole, Juju, at Levitard Show. If you're trapped in your car in the sinking sea, can you just use your seatbelt to break the window the way Tony would outmasculine the ocean? Jessica, how, I want to know sincerely how scared you were last night because by i and all armed by the fact that for the first fifty years of my life i have not been ever seriously scared of hurricanes is always a warning but to me it doesn't

land at my doorstep i have to board the house i have to do a number of different things but i've never been met with anything other than occasional inconvenience from flooding. But the apocalypse is approaching now, and you heard it last night on the roof of your house. It's here. I mean, I think, in all honesty, being earnest for a second, obviously, the most important thing is keeping yourselves

and your loved ones safe and healthy and making sure you have all the necessary emergency things. You have, like, your hurricane kit ready. Um, but also the loss of property is kind of terrifying. Like we were, we were very concerned for our car last night. Uh, and that is the main reason why I didn't want to come in today, because if you want to put in writing, Dan, that if my car, well, Lehman's car gets destroyed on my drive home from work,

you will replace it. That I will, I will be there in 10 minutes, but I don't think that will happen. So that's why we are playing it safe today because I don't want to lose my car. I saw a car stranded, abandoned all over the side of the road all night, all afternoon yesterday. Lucy saw it too. There were, there was a wake on Biscayne Boulevard.

There was a wake. There were waves cresting on the side of the street. So I don't want to destroy my car. But yeah, I mean, it's very scary. I'm also afraid for, you know, when this happens again, but with 140 mile per hour winds, probably later this summer. Oh, you think it's just going to be 140 mile an hour winds?

God, it's scary. There's also lightning. There were like thunderstorms, lightning. My dog doesn't want to poop. She's afraid to go out in the rain, by's scary. There's also lightning. There were like thunderstorms, lightning. My dog doesn't want to poop. She's afraid to go out in the rain, by the way. This kind of reminds me of like the good old days when we were all just scared of COVID and we did Zoom shows, Dan,

because we like get on at like 7.58 in the morning. We'd all log on to Zoom and then we'd be in our little boxes and then we'd be done at noon and I'd go have a day. It was great. Go for a long walk. It was so nice to be working from noon and I'd go have a day. It was great. You'd go for a long walk. It was so nice to be working from home. I could bring my dog to work and no one would yell at me, Amin, because I was home the whole time. Oh, those were the good old days. Amin's still here. Amin is here. What's going on? I mean, we've got Dan Hurley in a little bit.

Yeah. Where did Billy go? We've got Dan Hurley. I wanted to ask him What is the oldest thing in his car if he's had something in his car for seven years? He has no idea Dan. I mean Billy has so many things in that car. He has no idea What's the old what is the strangest artifact we will find in there if there's okay put it on the pole juju at? LeBattard show do you have anything in your car that's been there for seven years? any any Trinket not I'm not talking about the registration in the glove box or something or the manual. I'm talking about the way Billy does where you have a hat that's in the trunk of your car for seven years.

I have a loose heater that's sitting right below my seat. It's stuck right between the cushion and the edge, the glove box there. I can't get it. I've been trying to get it. I want to smoke it so badly, but I can't get it. I've been trying to get it, I wanna smoke it so badly, but I can't reach it, my fingers are too fat. The old Justin Case heater. Yeah. If you're desperate enough, you'll get it though. I promise.

Probably makes your car smell like... What's happening there though, hold on, because Tony's making an allegation, I believe he has been that desperate. Look, I have come in so many times, and his ass crack is showing in the parking garage, because he's in there rummaging for something. He's rummaging.

The number of mornings that the smile that greets me is his ass crack just fishing around in his car trying to get something. It's that eater. It's so, he's been that desperate, he can't get it. It's the sausage fingers because you know when a fry drops or something drops right between the seat

and the center console and you're trying to get your hand drops or something drops right between the seat in the center console You're trying to get your hand in there Dan big hand guy. They're like trying to find the worst I can't get it out I have seen my dog for six hours try to get the peanut butter treat out of the rubber ball That is to gods with that loose heater like except. He's never gotten it. You say the desperation hasn't been there I've seen it. It smiles at me every morning. I try every morning, you're right. I mean, Dan Hurley is supposed to join us as part of the rain delay filler today.

Stugats is trying to get an assortment of other rain delay filler guests, and Dan Hurley is gonna do an interview with us. What should I be asking him? Because that whole thing smelled funny. is going to do an interview with us what should I be asking him because I that whole thing smelled funny oh I was gonna say ask him about black women getting cancer from hair relaxer products because I wonder if he cares about black women more than you do Dan because when I try to bring it up and bring awareness

you try to send me to the penalty box both racist and sexist on your part no no you did bring it up and I sent you afterward after you had gone ahead and brought it to the attention of everybody. Not beforehand, not when you tried to bring it up. You did bring it up in the middle of something else that we were doing. He brought it back up. And I couldn't do anything with it. And so I just pushed you away so I could continue with my rain delay extravaganza instead of the dead fish you threw on my lap. I'm sorry. I wanted robust discussion about how we can protect some of our most vulnerable

populations in this country. I thought that was the kind of show that we did here. I guess I was wrong. We just talked about what Dan wants to talk about, which is the weather. Oh, but rained a little. Cancer, rain. Cancer, rain. You know what?

I'm really afraid of rain. No, sir. Dan Leventhal, I challenge you to bring it up with Dan Hurley and see. And I think Coach Hurley will have a lot to say about it. You know why? Because he's got a heart. All right, I mean, I'll let you do it when Hurley shows up. You can do it at the end.

No, we're not gonna do that. No, we're not gonna do that. I mean, can bring it up if he wants to with Dan Hurley. That's not really helpful to what I was asking him. I thought I was gonna... What were you asking? No, I don't want to talk to you what should he ask you just turn off the microphone in fact if you guys can do a graphic that just

blows wind and rain on him and he goes and floats out to sea I'd be fine with it I was asking about the fishy situation around Dan Hurley that ends up with him getting a contract offer from the Lakers that seemed low if you want in today's coaching environment to actually lure someone from the job that they had as a coveted free agent. It seems low. Totally above board.

It seems low. Turn his microphone off. Thank you, I appreciate it. Please just get rid of him, thank you. It seems low. Let's keep in mind, it's $70 million. That was the offer. But if you want Dan Hurley to your point,

back to back national championships at Connecticut, the reports out there are 100 million north of 100 million. That might feel low to Dan Hurley. I'm with you. Like, hey, if you want me, you want me to move me and my family across the country to a place I'm not comfortable living, it's going to have to be more than 70 million. And he can ask for that because that's what he demands.

That's what he commands. Well, he turned it down. Yep. And he did it while negotiating with Yukon. I mean, there's more to this, Dugance, okay? And I don't know how interested people are in the business of some of these things, because I don't know what happened here.

But I've been telling you for a minute that it's interesting to me how the information guys get their information and what it is they do with that information and if you've been watching and a lot of people are interested in this, Woj and Shams are enemies. Shams learned at Woj's knee and Woj has more power than I've ever seen a media person have over both ESPN and his sport in how he controls the trafficking of information. He is the most competitive person I have ever seen in this business and the way that he does business is exerting a power over ESPN that has all of the basketball people there who are not perfectly aligned with him scared.

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Hoo! Dan Lebatard. We like to call this one a chorus of Owen Wilson. Ready? Stugats. Wow. Wow. Wow.

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. This is the Dan Lebatard Show with the Stoogats. Do you get annoyed every time Dan Levatard pontificates about the sports media industry? Well, too bad, mother-

He knows he don't give a damn about what he's gonna say. It's time for sports media talk today. This one's interesting. I'm promising you that people are interested in this one. I have seen what Ethan Strauss is doing with his substack. Stugats people say that I live in an echo chamber, but I do like people who think differently than me and can execute making me think a little bit. And Ethan Strauss, his sub stack, he and I are not aligned on a lot of things. But one place where we are aligned is in finding fascinating what's happening with Woj and Shams because these are the two most competitive monsters that I've

ever seen. It's King Kong and Godzilla of the information business and Shams learned it from his mentor who is the most competitive person I've ever met in sports media who has relationships with the executives with the old guard in basketball the people who have controlled all of the power in basketball. And his protege, who is 30 years old, and is much different than him, traffics in the information from labor, from the players. And so there has been a fight at the top of the food chain.

And Stugatsa, I will tell you that Adrian Wojnarowski is one of the best writers I have ever seen. He doesn't do it anymore. He cannot. He is now in the information business and it's been rough to watch one of the greatest sports writers I've ever seen condensed to cubes of information as fast as you can because that's where the money is these days and that's where the power is these days. That's where the interest is these days.

I mean the money, the power, the interest, all of it, the interest is these days. I mean the money the power the interest all of it The information guys are valuable But when I tell you that this is one of the great sports writers of my time and I saw The way that Mike Lupica tried to bury any up-and-comers in that city to see him rise to the level of power He has and this is a man has been a friend for a long time Although I've said some things recently that I don't think would uh... have him calling me a friend anymore my guess is these pretty mad at me because i didn't notice until after i'd left the d s p n how scared everybody in basketball was who worked there if they were totally aligned

with the guy who was running the basketball business there to see shams on mcafee is such a book you from mcafee is such a book you from mcafee to woege yeah and the established infrastructure no one is allowed on ESPN basketball stuff until shams on mcafee that woege isn't good with to see his enemy in the middle of the workday on

mcafee is hugely interesting to me and then to see them this far apart on what the Lakers were doing and fighting at the top of the information food chain to produce an offer, a story around Hurley that I don't think any of us but Woj saw coming. Like that was not something that people were talking about before Woj reported it, after Shams had had reported j j reddick is the front runner i mean dan hurley has talked about going to the nb a wanting to coach in the nb a but i i'm with you know one saw this one coming to laker job coming it is interesting with mackinfeet because he is doing that just to piss off

woges and believe me it pisses off Woj. All right, let's welcome in, we'll talk more about this in a little bit, but the Hurley family's basketball royalty, like they really are. And Woj wrote the book on Dan's father who like conquered the Northeast teaching basketball correctly. It's kind of crazy, honestly,

to see this family dominate this sport this way because they know how to coach fundamental basketball in a way that outsmarts everyone they're playing against. Dan Hurley's dad is a legend. It's unbelievable. 50 years at St. Anthony's. A better coach than Dan. Dan's the bum in the family. He's the bum in the family. He's underachieved with only a couple of championships. The bum joins us now and this is what a bum he is, Dugant. He could have been living in Malibu. Instead, he's coming from a luxurious all-day camp for high schoolers in Orlando,

where it was 100 degrees yesterday. He chose Stores over LA. Stores, Connecticut, over a home in Malibu, coaching LeBron. One of the great idiots of our time, ladies and gentlemen, Dan Hurley with us. Hey, Dan Hurley. All right, let Let's go Danny. Hey guys.

Welcome sir I was confused by the last week. Congratulations on all your success and it's certainly deserved for you to be the big free agent negotiating for Laker money but what do you make of the last 10 days of your life? Wild, man. Just wild. I think, you know, for me, just kind of like last week, beginning of week, maybe Monday, you start to have a conversation with your agent about what your serious interest level would be and making such a move. So you really, the beginning of last week, you started really putting into my mind, you know, what, you know, was it something I would really put serious consideration into? And after thinking about it, like earlier in the week, you know, it was something I wanted to explore, you know, the opportunity to potentially coach the Lakers and to coach

one of the greatest players of all time and to coach another, you know, one of the best, you know, players in the NBA and AD and you know to lead such a storied franchise and to walk the sidelines, you know, where some of the greatest to ever do it Pat Riley and Phil Jackson. I mean, it was something in my mind that I had to, you know, had to explore and consider and see what it looked like. Did you talk to LeBron? I did not.

You know, we had some communication. You know, one of my first games I ever coached in as a high school coach was against LeBron in Delaware when he was at St. Mary's, St. Vincent. You know, his team came into that game with a 66 game winning streak. And we were, it was my first year as a head coach. I didn't know what the hell I was doing. You know, when the game ended, he had a 67 game winning streak. And, you know, so I shared the court with him once and, you know, it was, it would have been a thrill to coach him.

To be clear though, Dan, the reason I ask the question is when Tom Izzo was considering this kind of job change to Cleveland, he couldn't get a hold of LeBron. He never spoke to him. The reason I ask the question is because it'd be hard for you to make that particular decision without knowing LeBron's totally on board with what it is you're doing. Yeah, no doubt. And, you know, I think he's obviously one of the greatest players, incredible basketball mind. And, you know, I know that he wants you know he wants a great coach in that organization. I know that's important to him. What a great recruiting pitch for you though

you turn down Kentucky you turn down the Braun you turn down the Lakers you tell the kids I did it for you. Well that to me is one of the dumbest takes I've heard. Well, thank you. Not you. I got us to I got a Stu gots on my team too. Here. I got the Jalen Stewart and I called him.

I called him, you know, Stu and I got trouble for Brianna Stewart. So now I call him Stu Gotts sometimes when he does some shit. But, you know, like one of the worst takes I've ever heard is like, this was a leverage play by me to improve my situation at UConn. Like, I don't need leverage here. We've won back to back national championships,

you know, at this place. And like, I'm not, this was never a leverage situation for me. I've had a contract in place here for a couple of weeks. And the financial part in terms of salary has been done for a while. There's some other parts like NIL and staff salaries and some different things that I needed that I want adjusted that I'm not comfortable with. But the sense

or the idea that this was some conspiracy to get me a sweeter deal at UConn is just it's lazy and not. It was truly like a gut wrenching decision for me because I was really Sunday night going into Monday where I had a kind of a deadline in my mind. I was like torn and I didn't know really what I was gonna do until I went to bed. What was the deadline in your mind? Why did you do that?

Well, we had practice with the players. We had a scheduled practice at one o'clock on Monday. And, you know, it obviously had become a circus and it was weighing on, it was weighing on me and my wife and my two sons and my whole family. And then with the players and their families, I mean, that that are here. Just the timing is terrible. It's June.

We already had completed like a week of practice together. And then this whole thing came up. I had a player that removed his name from the draft that very well could have stayed in the draft that had come back to UConn to play for me and to do one more year to go for a three-peat. So, you know, like it just was, it had become too much of a circus. And if I had no deadline, I would have tortured myself over the decision for a longer period of time

because you have the chance to coach the Lakers and LeBron and into an AD and to work for Jeannie Buss and to work with Rob Poleka was like it was a hard thing to pass up. Dan, I can't pretend to know you. I have read Wojcik's book on your father and so I'm assuming from your body language the way you're hiding in your hat on some of the praise that you're getting and some of the attention you're getting in the middle of the basketball finals given how much you respect basketball from the crib are you embarrassed by what the last few days have been publicly? Yeah I think so to a degree while you're really breaking me down here

to a degree. Why are you really breaking me down here? For me, it's not been my life has changed a lot in the last 22 months in terms of how I'm viewed, you know, in in sports in basketball. You know, for me, I've always been, you know, not quite good enough or, you know, or the third or the third wheel or, or just pretty good. And obviously a lot has changed, you know, for me in terms of success in basketball and, and just didn't imagine, you know, I guess just being in this position, it's not something that, you know, was some plan I had, you know, 25 years ago when I got into coaching or 15 years ago when I was a high school coach driving a, I can't curse on you.

Yeah, you can, now you're good. Yeah, I mean, I was driving a cheese bus, you know, I drove in a mini cheese bus around going to high school games 15 years ago. Like I didn't think I'd be choosing between coming back for a three peter Yukon or turning down the Lakers. I didn't see it coming man. Well but the reason I asked the question is because you're coach's son and I feel off of you

I cannot know this the sort of embarrassment of I'm not the story like you guys understand like yes I can be I can have my ego and it's my leadership and my discipline but you've been dominating the basketball story when my guess is that if you were in some other position, you would want people talking about Jason Tatum. Yeah. I mean, absolutely. It took just a crazy dynamic.

And obviously it had, you know, most of it had to do with just the Lakers, right? I mean, like anything Lakers with the NBA is gonna be a huge story. I mean, they're talking about the Lakers nonstop. I mean, it's just, you know, it's LA, it's the brand, it's the history, it's the media market, it's all those things. And I'm like a simple guy, man.

I just, the least complicated part of my day and the best part of my day as a basketball coach is the time on the court, the practice time. I love the practice time. I love the purity of coaching, probably in the end. A lot of people just, they talk shit about how bad college basketball is with NIL and Transfer Portal.

And I think a lot of that is just, I think it's a lot of it, it's excuses and it's whiny. Like it's a privilege to be able to coach at this level, make the amount of money that we make, and then coach like 18, 19, 20 year olds, and you could still like impact lives and coach at a high level. It's just, being a college coach is incredible.

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jurisdiction void in Ontario bonus best expire 168 hours after issuance see dkng.co slash b-ball for eligibility deposit restrictions terms and responsible gaming resources don libertard you are very comfortable talking about how you met your wife how much you love her how important she is to you, and that's the reason that I asked the question. I've always admired that about you, that you have no problems whatsoever professing your love. Well, the thing is, I got a new wife now.

You know, me and Bianca didn't make it. So I moved on, we moved on. It was for the better for of us still gots things Just got a little awkward there. So let me be the first on this show to congratulate you on the new wife Vince congratulations on feeling whole feeling complete, you know Let's talk tailgating. Yeah Don't be don't don't feel awkward buddy Yeah.

Don't be, don't, don't feel awkward, buddy. You know, I don't. I mean, it's too late for that. I appreciate you soothing me in this regard, but I already feel terribly awkward. And then my teammate comes to my defense with not a question, but just a healthy congratulations.

And the further pointing out of that awkwardness because he's always good for me in those spots. I'm also thinking of divorce, Vince, after many, many years, 18 years, with a partner who does things like that to you. This is the Don LeVar Tar Show with the StuGuts. Dan, what did your wife want to do? She got there, she was like crying in the beginning. I think initially that the first couple of days of it, she got violently angry and emotional.

Like not like hitting me and stuff, but not like, you know, get away from me. I don't want to consider this. You're torturing me with this incredible opportunity, you horrible human being. She was, she got emotional. Like, I can't believe you're bringing this. Our life is so great. It's perfect.

Like, our lives couldn't be better and now you're bringing this our life is so great it's perfect like like our lives couldn't be better and now you're bringing this shit so she was she was bad in the beginning but then she warmed up to it when we got out there and she met Rob and she met Jeannie and felt the weather. And we drove around Manhattan Beach and just met the people though mostly and she saw the vision of it. She was into it. But then when we got back to Connecticut, without having made a decision and we got back home

and we both flipped back. and we both flipped back. Ambition has been something I imagine that could test any relationship, like the stuff, you know what I mean? So that when you're getting to a point, really again, we gotta move, we got settled, we're good here, we've arrived at the top of the mountain.

This is success, right? The nerve of Dan to bring his wife a 70 million dollar offer. That's right, no, when you say it's gut wrenching though, I get it from there. Dan, who, what are we choosing? Are we choosing family or are we choosing what Dan wants all the time? Yeah, and for me, you know, I was a high school coach for nine years, so I got a chance to, you know, when my kids were young, I got a chance to, you know, to get to Little League games

and to get to CYO games. And, you know, like when my kids were in grade school, I was able to kind of be there for them before I went into the college, you know, rat race. But I also, too, it's like, you know, I'm still haunted by my playing career in a lot of ways and just in terms of, you know, I'm still haunted by my playing career in a lot of ways, and just in terms of how disappointed I am to this day in terms of how that went for me at Seton Hall. So now I do feel this enormous pressure in coaching to kind of make up for that in a

way and to achieve more greatly because of the disappointment that will kind of eat, eat away at me whenever my playing days are brought up. That one. Yeah, that one, that one is rough. Like this, the tapestry of who it is that you've built to get to this moment to conquer, like what an interesting, fascinating decision for you to have to make. And I don't think that people would understand that the last 10 days haven't been entirely joyful to you, that you would arrive at all beyond your wildest dreams

and you'd still be gut wrenched because it's an embarrassment of riches, but people don't understand what it's like to be you. I mean, too incredible. Yeah, I mean like, I mean, you don't understand what it's like to be you. I mean, too incredible. Yeah, I mean, like it. I mean, you don't want to say it because people who rolled their eyes like like real people that like have like real problems and real struggles and shit.

So it's like, you know, you sound like an idiot, but it's absolutely true. Like you you have two incredible opportunities. And it's like it tears you up inside. I mean, from when we got on the, from when we landed and started spending time with Rob and Jeannie and spend time around the facility and then knowing like what you'd be leaving at UConn

and like try to imagine walking into the locker room and telling your team like, I'm not with you guys anymore because the beautiful thing that is still there for us in college that at UConn, that the NIL and the portal hasn't destroyed is like we have a real beautiful connection here like still in college,

like there's a feeling of connection, brotherhood. There's real true emotion and feelings for each other here because of the way that our program functions that, in the end, it's probably a deciding factor is, is your desire to continue to be a part of that and not knowing that that necessarily is something that you could be a part of in the professional ranks. Were there any good parts of the last 10 days? Because I got to be honest, you're making it seem like a misery. I mean, the Lakers courted you.

I'm making it seem like that. Let's be fair to him, because I am putting him in a bad spot talking about the difficulties of this. But I am surprised by some of the human answers that he's given, because I think people think these guys are ambition monsters, and they are, but they also have loved ones. And you're uprooting a life that is really good right now. Is there an amount of money, Dan?

Is there an amount of money that they could have offered that would have changed the decision? Yeah, first I think coach talk is dead. I think nobody wants to hear coach talk anymore, right? I think that's over with. So yeah, I think there, I mean, to leave there probably is, you know, to leave a place at any moment in your life. I think that, like, to say that it's not a motivating factor, the finances to leave a

place is definitely a thing. To stay at a place, I don't think it's ever going to be a thing. Like to stay somewhere like UConn, it would never have been I think a financial thing. Like again, this wasn't like some like pressure tactic to make me the highest paid college coach. Like that shit was already done. But to leave a place that you feel the way we do and the family connection with my wife, my sons, my mother-in-law, my brother, my father, who like I know how much it means to my dad

to go to the Big East Tournament and to come to 10 UConn games a year at home and sit in court side when I'm coaching against Rick Pitino, you know, like I mean, yeah, you know to to leave all that behind. There there probably is a number. I don't know what that is. Was the name Brawny ever brought up at any point? name, Brawny, ever brought up at any point? On TV a lot. That's a good answer.

You know what? I love Brawny. What I watched in high school, I love Brawny. I think we have kind of unique style of the way that we play offense here at UConn. I think it's our tactics and strategies, I think, are a little bit more unique. And I think it has a lot to do with my background,

the high school coach, and then my upbringing with my father. And you know, what's weird is like, he would have been incredible in our system with the way that we play basketball. Because he's like, he's so athletic, he defends, but then he's like such a smart player and you know he could shoot he could pass he's got a great feel he could play a couple different

guard spots I really like Brownie but his he was not specifically you know part of any particular conversation that I did not see on television can you tell me whether you got a firm answer with conviction on whether it was known that you would indeed be coaching LeBron James next year? Oh man, I've been so honest the whole way too. Now I'm gonna start. Well now you have to tell the truth. Yeah, I think, you know, I can't answer.

There was no definitive. I think anyone that's that's going to take that that that position there is anticipating you're going to get a chance to coach, you know, one of the top two or three players of all time. I really put you in a bad spot there, didn't I? I'm trying to play it cool here. No, you're not playing it cool. You called him a liar.

I did not do that. He's comfortable, and he's being super honest. And that question, the reason I ask it is because Tom Izzo couldn't move, couldn't get a hold of LeBron. The power has changed in that sport. And I don't know if you can get 100% answer on that. The job has to be independent of LeBron because he's a free agent. He can leave.

Yeah, I just think, you know, the the the exciting thing about coaching LeBron is in your mind, or any of these great players in the NBA, like, if you show up with incredible work ethic like incredible work ethic and you have like an incredible level of expertise of all aspects of the art of coaching and then if you're like authentic, honest and a strong leader you're gonna get the respect. You know, whether you played in the NBA, whether you've coached in the NBA,

you know, there's obvious adjustments that you'd have to make to do it, but you know, just great players like that, like all-time great players, they just want those things in the coach that's leading the organization. I appreciate, Dan, your way. Obviously, the work speaks for itself. The results speak for themselves. But the way that you represent the entirety of this sport is worthy of admiration. I will get you

out on this note. I just want quick answers from you on who voted which way. Dad, which way did he vote? What was dad leaning? Was he saying Lakers or Yukon? Big East ornament, I mean. Yukon. Mother-in-law, I'm sorry? He did give his blessing to go out there with an open mind,

because it was too good of an opportunity, but he was Yukon. Mother-in-law. Easy one, Yukon. And wife at the he was Yukon. Mother-in-law? Easy one, Yukon. And wife at the end? Yukon. Yeah, you were outnumbered. You were outnumbered.

Yeah. But there was a number. Yeah, there was a number. We need to get the family on. What was the number? Because I'm not sure there was a number. He was outnumbered. He thinks there was a number.

There wasn't a number. There was not a number. Yeah, I was done. I mean, it didn't matter what I wanted. Last thing, because Stugats desperately wants to talk Billy Joel with you. I do. I want to guess your top five Billy Joel songs of all time. I want to guess what yours would be. Can I do that? Yeah. Obviously,, obviously New York state of mind anytime that we we go in for the Big East Tournament or we go play at MSG. You know we blast that on the on the bus custom

bus where we loop and the players like who the hell is this right? That's not. That's not there. That's not there. The version they like. They like the Jay Z. I had that at number two by the way. I guessed your top five and I had that's not there. That's not there. The version they like. They like the Jay-Z. Dan, I had that at number two, by the way. I guessed your top five and I had it at number two. Do you

want to hear the rest of your top five and you tell me if I'm right? Yeah, go. Okay. Number five, my life. Yeah. That's in it, right? Yeah. Because you're not a piano guy. You're not going to do that. Piano man, Captain Jack. You're not going to do that. That's in it, right? Yeah. Cuz you're not a piano guy. You're not going to do that.

Piano man, Captain Jack. You're not going to do that. That's too easy. Everyone has that in their top five. So, I'm going to go number four. Only the good die young. Only the good die young guy. I know this guy. Uh number three, big shot.

Yeah. He's being polite there. Seen from an Italian restaurant. Just careful. Careful, Dan. I like that. I like it. It's just a long song. It is. You don't have time for that. Dan, good talking to you. Congratulations. It really has been a wonder to watch your work, sir.

And I'm happy for your success. It was great being on with you guys. I love the show. You guys are you're awesome in the Stan Van. You know, I've listened to that multiple times, man. I love the show. You guys are. You're awesome in the stand van. You know, I've listened to that multiple times, man. That's like one of the best things I've ever heard. And I love you guys. I love the Van Gundys.

Thank you, Dan, for making the time for us. Congratulations. Thank you, Dan. Right. Backstreet's back. All right. Since the dawn of mankind, we've cooked our food over an open flame and debated the best

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