Dan Hurley got paid. The 51-year-old head coach signed a new six-year, $50 million contract to remain with the UConn Huskies through 2030. With an average salary of $8.3 million, that would make Hurley the third-highest paid coach in college basketball, behind only Kansas's Bill Self and Kentucky's John Calipari.
The UConn Huskies website has the contract details that make it sound like the least important part of the job is coaching basketball.
"Coming off back-to-back national titles, Hurley will receive a base salary of $400,000 per year and an additional compensation for speaking, consulting and media obligations of $6.375 million for the 2024-25 season, which escalates each year through the term of the contract. He will also receive a retention bonus of $1 million per year. Salary increases in Coach Hurley's new contract as well as other program investments will be covered through the generosity of donors to the Husky Athletic Fund and increased ticket sales revenue."
More than six million for speaking, consult and media obligations and a retention bonus as if the original millions aren't enough motivation to keep returning every season. Not bad.
Hurley briefly flirted with the Los Angeles Lakers last month and reportedly turned down a slightly richer deal worth $70 million over six years. That would have made him the sixth highest-paid coach in the NBA. With Calipari currently embattled, Hurley is already on the precipice of cracking the top two in college.
The biggest difference between the two jobs is legacy. If he had taken the Lakers job he'd just be the latest guy the Lakers hired, but at UConn, coming off back-to-back national championships at a blue blood basketball school, Hurley is on his way to becoming a legendary college coach.
You can't put a price on that, but if you did, eight million dollars a year is a good place to start.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as UConn Announces New Dan Hurley Contract Details .