GLENDALE, AZ– Before Danny Hurley pursued history as the head coach of the UConn Huskies, he taught the subject back at St. Benedict's Prep in Newark.
“I've been a high school instructor that taught world history beginning with the collapse of the Roman Empire, primarily concentrated on European history,” Hurley stated ahead of the 2024 guys's Final Four. “From the Dark Ages all the method through to the Reformation.”
That wasn't the only thing he taught.
“I've likewise taught chauffeur's ed, health, sex ed to coed classes at St. Anthony,” he continued. “Being able to teach sex ed at St. Anthony, coed classes, at 22 years of ages, you discover how to manage a class and keep an audience mesmerized.”
UConn gamers stated Hurley never ever misses out on a chance to bend his historic understanding, just recently lecturing the group on Alexander the Great as they made their method through March Madness. At this moment, everybody understands the kind of history Hurley and his group are pursuing: just 3 groups have actually won back-to-back championship games in males's college basketball because John Wooden led UCLA to 7 nationwide titles in a row covering the late '60s and early '70s. The last group to do it was Billy Donovan's Florida Gators, method back in 2006-2007.
“I believe it's certainly assisted me as a coach in the huddle,” Hurley stated of his experience as an instructor. “I believe it likewise assists, too, if you have other tasks, besides simply being a coach, I believe it simply assists you with point of view a bit, too.”
Okay, Hurley's increase from the high school ranks to college basketball's greatest phase didn't precisely take place with no connections. He's one of the most significant nepo-babies in the sport. Hurley's dad Bob Hurley Sr. may be the best high school coach of all-time at the abovementioned St. Anthony High School in Jersey City. His older bro Bobby Hurley is a college basketball legend who when starred on a repeat championship game winner at Duke together with Christian Laettner.
Hurley's coworkers in the Final Four didn't have the exact same familial benefits, however 2 of them likewise clawed their method up from the high school level.
Picture by Harry How/Getty Images
Alabama coach Nate Oats was teaching mathematics classes and training basketball at Detroit's Romulus High School just 10 years back. NC State coach Kevin Keatts was at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia. All 3 previous high school coaches hope their stories influence more youthful coaches still searching for the chance to break in at a greater level.
“The high school task I had wasn't among these they pay you a lot of cash simply to be the basketball coach,” Oats stated on Friday. “I needed to teach a full-time mentor load. I was teaching 5 hours of mathematics at Romulus. I taught Algebra 1, I taught geometry. I had freshmen, I had sophomores. I taught stats so I had juniors or elders.
