Dan Hurley Stays At UConn, Futures Markets React

Hurley Returns To UConn

UConn head coach Dan Hurley turned down one of the most sought-after coaching gigs in sports, choosing to stay with the Huskies instead of becoming the next head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers had reportedly offered him a six-year, $70 million contract, but that wasn't enough to lure him away from the East Coast. Hurley has led UConn to back-to-back National Championships and will look to make it three in a row this season. The last college program to win three straight titles was John Wooden's UCLA team, which won a record-setting seven consecutive titles, starting in 1967.

With Hurley returning to the college ranks, the Lakers are back at square one in their search for a new head coach. How does Hurley's decision affect both team's odds of winning their respective titles? Let's take a look!

Can UConn Complete The Three-Peat?

UConn's odds to win the 2024-25 National Championship have fluctuated quite a bit since reports first came out that the Lakers were interested in Hurley. Before we knew that Hurley was on the Lakers' radar, the Huskies were tied with Kansas as this year's favorite at +1000, per BetMGM. After Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Hurley had plans to meet with L.A., those odds moved to +1400, giving UConn the fourth shortest odds behind Kansas, Duke and Alabama. With Hurley's decision to stay at UConn, those odds dropped back to their opening number of +1000.

Hurley has made it clear that his dream is to coach in the NBA one day, so I highly doubt that he would turn down this opportunity, especially with an organization like the Lakers, if he didn't believe he had the talent at UConn to compete for another title. Therefore, if you're interested in backing the Huskies this season, I recommend grabbing them at the current price. They've cruised through their non-conference schedule over the last two years, so I don't think waiting until closer to the season to get better odds on them is a smart move in this situation.

Who's Next for the Lakers?

With Hurley declining the Lakers offer, the front office is now back to square one in its head coaching search. Before it was reported that the Lakers were targeting Hurley, DraftKings listed J.J. Redick as the betting favorite at -225. James Borrego had the second shortest odds at +600, so the L.A. front office will likely circle back on those options. However, DraftKings has taken down the odds for L.A.s next head coach, so we'll have to wait to see how those have shifted.

There are still a few markets where you can currently back the Lakers. They are 20-1 to win the title next season, which I don't recommend betting right now. With a new head coach and an aging LeBron James, the Lakers' chances of contending for a title in a packed Western Conference are slim.

There is also the chance that LeBron won't even be in the Purple and Gold next season. His odds to remain with L.A. are -425 at DraftKings, so his return is likely, but he's made plenty of comments about wanting to play with his son, Bronny James.

Bronny's odds to be drafted by the Lakers are +160 with the next closest team being the Suns at +800. If Bronny ends up anywhere but L.A., we may also see LeBron on the move.

Overall Impact Of The Decision

Hurley's decision to turn down the Lakers' offer and return to UConn didn't have a massive impact on the betting market, but it does make the Huskies' path to a third title much clearer. If Hurley had decided to go to L.A., UConn would have been forced to hire a new head coach and players would have had the opportunity to transfer. We then would have seen their championship odds drop significantly, but with Hurley returning, UConn also returned to the top of the odds board.

As far as the Lakers go, the organization feels like such a mess right now that I'm in no hurry to bet on anything relating to them.