Dan Hurley’s sideline antics have made him a coaching icon, but for his wife, Andrea, they’ve also been the source of some truly embarrassing moments.
During a recent conversation on The Field of 68 podcast, Hurley’s wife, Andrea, was asked about her most embarrassing moment. In reply, Andrea remarked that it was from the Butler game last year in January.
“Oh man, I just believe the one that he just did when the ref turned around, and he said, “Don’t you know who I am?” or something like that. Come on, dude, pull yourself together,” Hurley’s wife, Andrea, said.
The game itself was nerve-wracking, with UConn taking an 80-78 overtime win. Following the win, he went straight to the official, complaining about a foul on the rebound, which Hurley thought should have been given. But getting no answer from the official just infuriated the UConn coach even more, and that’s when the famous line emerged, where he said to the refs, “Don’t turn your back on me, I’m the best coach in the f—ing sport.” It stayed in the headlines for the upcoming days.
And subsequently, the incident was not at all to his wife, Andrea’s, liking. But coming from a coach like Hurley, who doesn’t mince his words in venting his frustration, the instance was no surprise. But his wife feels that after such instances, it’s important for her to keep Hurley grounded while also supporting him from a household perspective.
“I am the most supportive wife, trust me. I will give myself credit because, literally, my house is a fine oil machine. He has everything he needs. I literally take care of everything. So he could do what he needs to do, but I also need to humble him.”
Hurley’s interactions with referees can’t be summarized in a few words. It would be fair to say that the two don’t get along well. From lashing out at officials over their decisions to allegedly shoulder-bumping them, Hurley has been through it all, but it was his wife who stood beside him amid such heated instances.
Andrea Hurley’s supportive nature doesn’t need an introduction. Remember the Duke game in the Elite Eight when Braylon Mullins scored a 35-foot buzzer beater to win the game. It was Andrea who kept her poise even in elation from the sidelines.
She ensured that all UConn players and support staff remained on the bench. It was her way to make sure no technical foul was issued to any of them, while all of them, including her husband, were running along the sidelines in joy of their Final Four qualification. That’s the level of perception and support Andrea has for her husband and the entire UConn Huskies team.
“Yeah, she’s a boss. She’s the Jersey boss lady. And her language is colorful, too. I mean, she was grabbing people around the back of their warmups. And she doesn’t know anything about basketball, you know?” Hurley said of the entire incident.
While the supportive moment and heartwarming gestures were highlights of this Elite Eight game, Dan Hurley also made headlines for one of his quirks with the officials, yet again.
Dan Hurley’s Wife Andrea Shares Her Perspective on the UConn Coach’s Latest Tussle With Refs
Braylon Mullins might have gotten most of the attention for his winning shot, but his coach was not far behind in this regard. It was in the aftermath of the winning celebrations that Hurley ran towards the official, Roger Ayers, and seemingly headbutted him, sparking another frenzy around the UConn coach. There was a debate over whether Hurley should have been given a technical in this case.
But the UConn head coach has already described the situation as a friendly gesture rather than an aggressive one. “And [Ayers is] such an easy guy to work with during the game. I thought he was coming over to chest-bump me to celebrate the shot,” Hurley said. Now his wife, Andrea, has shared her two cents on how this situation unfolded for her.
“I didn’t see that in real time. I saw it later, and I was like, what the hell are you doing?” Andrea said. “He’s like, ‘that’s my guy.’ I mean, how many favorite coaches does Dan Hurley have? One and that’s him. He likes one.”
“So, he’s like that’s my guy and they talk like they have this relationship they’ve always had. So, when he came over, it could have been anyone. He could have been just technical and gotten the hell out of here. They were talking like they had a good relationship, and that wasn’t anything.”
Andrea’s assessment also fits in perfectly with what Hurley said in his interview, marking a seemingly rare moment when Hurley showcased a friendly nature with an official.
Now, after these celebratory moments and tightrope Duke win, Dan Hurley has yet another tough assignment to deal with. Illinois is next for him and the UConn Huskies on Saturday, where they will bid for a ticket to the Championship game.
