Dan HurleyMitchell Layton/Getty Images
For weeks, reporting and rumors suggested that the Los Angeles Lakers would rob the media of JJ Redick and make him the next head coach of their storied franchise.
Then, on Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a Woj Bomb onto the timeline, alerting the basketball world to L.A.’s interest in Dan Hurley.
Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Lakers are targeting Connecticut’s Dan Hurley to become the franchise’s next coach and are preparing a massive, long-term contract offer to bring the back-to-back national champion to the NBA, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/6WPrigPvAW
The sudden nature of the report led to some surprise, but the interest itself makes plenty of sense.
Hurley is coming off back-to-back national title runs with the UConn Huskies. Since at least as far back as that second championship, he’s been one of the hottest names in basketball.
And though he’d be heading to a challenging situation with a pair of past-their-prime stars and the expectations that come from leading the Lakers, Hurley’s pass-heavy scheme and ability to quickly develop talent can conceivably get this organization back to title-hunting.
If he does, he’d join a relatively limited list of prominent former college coaches who successfully transitioned to the NBA. Most examples from the league’s past aren’t great.
Below, you’ll find three of the very worst and three of the best college-to-pro coaching paths in NBA history.
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