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The UConn men's basketball head coach announced he'll release a new book called "Never Stop: Life, Leadership, and What It Takes to Be Great". New York Times bestselling sports author Ian O'Connor is co-authoring the book with Hurley.
The book, which will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 16, dives into Hurley's journey from battling mental health struggles to becoming one of his sport's most dominant coaches.
"I've confronted a lot of obstacles and adversity on my journey from troubled college student to two-time national champ at UConn, and I'm proud to share those stories–along with my leadership philosophies and methods in building a winning team," Hurley said in an Instagram post on Thursday, Feb. 20.
"Never Stop" gives readers an inside look at Hurley's culture at UConn that propelled the Huskies to back-to-back NCAA titles in 2023 and 2024. It's also expected to go into detail about the high-stakes decision Hurley faced in June 2024 before he ultimately turned down a chance to coach the Los Angeles Lakers.
Hurley, who has been a mental health advocate, will also talk about overcoming a dark period in his life when he contemplated suicide.
"Above all, I’m writing this to help people overcome and succeed," Hurley said. "I hope you get a chance to read it."
The Jersey City native is the son of legendary St. Anthony High School coach Bob Hurley Sr. He's also the brother of former Duke point guard and current Arizona State men's head coach Bobby Hurley.
Dan didn't have the same on-court success as his brother Bobby, who won two national titles at Duke and was the seventh overall NBA draft pick in 1993. After his playing career at Seton Hall ended in 1996, Dan joined his father's coaching staff at the now-closed St. Anthony before becoming an assistant at Rutgers for four seasons.
UConn men's basketball head coach Dan Hurley speaking to a crowd at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT, during a celebration after UConn won the 2024 NCAA national championship.
The 52-year-old got his first head coaching job in 2001 at St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark. He turned the Gray Bees into a powerhouse like St. Anthony before making the jump to be the head coach at Wagner College in 2010.
After two seasons on Staten Island, Dan took another step up in competition at Rhode Island in 2012. He led the Rams to two NCAA Tournaments before heading slightly closer to home when he became UConn's head coach in 2018.
Hurley didn't make the NCAA Tournament in his first season in Storrs, taking over a blue-blood program that had fallen after winning the 2014 national title. While 2020's tournament was canceled due to COVID-19, UConn would return to March Madness in 2021 and 2022 but lost in the first round both years.
The Huskies returned to their place atop men's college basketball with their 2023 title. The climb back wasn't easy, with UConn losing six of eight games early in Big East play before finding their rhythm in time for March.
UConn repeated as national champions in 2024, posting a dominating 37-3 overall record. While the Huskies have slipped a bit from their top spot, they remain a very strong NCAA Tournament threat in 2025.
Known for his relentless coaching style, Hurley embraces the tough-love approach passed down from his father, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
"There are aspects that you find out about yourself that now you see some things from your dad, some things from your brother, that rubbed off on you, positive and negative," Hurley said in an April 2024 interview on "The Dan Patrick Show". "The intensity, the passion, the competitiveness, I think the endurance. There's also empathy."
UConn men's basketball coach Dan Hurley and his father Bob Hurley Sr.
Joining Hurley is Ian O'Connor, a veteran sports journalist familiar with writing about the best coaches in sports. O'Connor is also the author of "Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski" and "Belichick: The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All Time".
O'Connor said "Never Stop" is a big change from his usual work of unauthorized biographies.
"I never thought I’d write a collaboration with anyone," O'Connor said in a Facebook post. "But Dan Hurley has a profound personal story of overcoming & I was fascinated by how his holistic behind-the-scenes approach & volatile game-night leadership made Gen Z kids champions. It’s been a blast working with Dan."
You can preorder Dan Hurley's upcoming book on Amazon, Simon & Schuster, and Barnes & Noble.
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