Is he a villain? Dan Hurley, one win from his third title, has his spot among the legends cemented

INDIANAPOLIS — Dan Hurley strolled through the depths of Lucas Oil Stadium before his latest Final Four game, wearing a grey UCONN T-shirt paired with a navy sport coat and a backpack hanging off his right shoulder. On his head, he sported a white Huskies hat, the brim slightly tilted to the left. In his hand, a to-go cup of coffee.

Walking in the way only Hurley does — smooth and confidently, yet slightly labored — he locked into whatever he was listening to, mouthing along with the words while staring off into the sky with a blank look on his face.

Hurley probably wasn’t trying to be intimidating, but time seemed to stop as he passed people staring at him, yet he never locked eyes. Maybe it was because the media members and stadium workers couldn’t read his vibe. Is he a seasoned coach who has been here — and succeeded — before, not daunted by the overwhelming stakes facing his team? Or was he detached from the world, lost in his own thoughts before heading into war to rip someone else’s heart out?

One thing was for certain: Anyone who saw that stroll knew not to bet against the man. Not on this stage. Not in these moments.

Then the game happened. UConn, which somehow entered the game as a slight underdog, basically led from start to finish. The Huskies were in complete control for 40 minutes, up by seven at halftime and maintaining a comfortable lead throughout the second half. Even when Illinois made a late run to get within four — a moment when most fan bases would panic — Hurley stayed calm on the sideline and waited for his team to seal the win.

When UConn eventually did, 71-62, Hurley cemented himself — if he hadn’t already — in the conversation for one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. That’s not hyperbolic or being a prisoner of the moment. That’s real.

Tarris Reed Jr. scored 17 points, Braylon Mullens added 15 and Solo Ball put up 13. However, if you were expecting a classic Hurley meltdown with the refs or another thrilling final minute like UConn’s stunning 73-72 victory over Duke last weekend, that didn’t happen in the football stadium. The better team — more physical, more in control, and more dominant — won this game from start to finish.

Illinois’ late rally created a dramatic television moment, but it didn’t scare Hurley. It didn’t scare his team either. And it unfolded exactly as he expected when he walked into the stadium — like a walk in the park.

“You know, the year hasn’t been a joy ride,” Hurley said after the game. “We haven’t been a machine of destruction. We’ve been a team that’s had to kind of grind out games like this.”

Hurley now is two halves of basketball away from winning his third national title in four years. He’s already in the conversation with some of the game’s greatest coaches. With a win over Arizona or Michigan on Monday, he’ll have three national titles. He’s only been UConn’s coach since 2018.

Do you know who is in the three national title club? North Carolina’s Roy Williams, UConn’s Jim Calhoun, and Indiana’s Bob Knight. UCLA’s John Wooden has 10 titles, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski has five, and Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp has four. Williams, Calhoun — a legend at Hurley’s school — and Knight represent the level of greatness we’re talking about for UConn’s current leader.

Even at a program that is used to success — UConn has six national titles since 1999 and is 30-4 in NCAA Tournament games in the Sweet 16 or later during that span — Hurley has separated himself. Of course, the NCAA Tournament success in such a condensed period of time. But also doing it in the NIL/transfer portal era, the time in college sports where parity is supposed to be at an all-time high.

Winning the national title in basketball is already so inherently difficult, given how much matchups and paths matter in this sport. This isn’t like football, where talented, physical teams can wear down opponents with confidence in a four-quarter game. One hot three-point shooter can end your season. UConn has been above that under Hurley’s leadership during a time in which it’s supposed to be even harder than it traditionally was.

Hurley has also done it while also becoming a lightning rod in this sport, which was most recently on display when he swiped his forehead across a referee Roger Ayers’ face at the end of the Duke game. He’s becoming known as a villain for his intense persona on the sideline, sometimes flirting with inappropriate.

“I’m not a victim. I’ve done everything. I did what I did,” Hurley said during his pregame news conference Friday. “We don’t allow victims in our program, and I’m not a 53-year-old man sitting up here like I’m some victim. I don’t want to waste a lot of time with it because it takes away from the team. But for me, the way I view what we’re going into, in the game, when some people, again, view it as a game, just my family, how I was raised in the sport, where I’m from in Jersey, we look at it more like a battle.”

He later added: “My world and the world I think is the best world to live in is the real world, which is interacting with people, putting your phone down. I get much more of a bad reaction from people, I think, on social media than when I meet regular people, because any time I meet regular people, they look at me and they start laughing or they start smiling, or like, ‘You’re the guy from the video. You look a little crazy, but I think you’re a good egg.'”

A little crazy? Um, yes.

The way he walked into the arena Saturday was, well, crazy. So much so that the official March Madness X account highlighted his atypical outfit and saunter before the game started. You rarely, if ever, see a coach walk into an environment like this like that.

But we got the answer to the question of what vibe he was trying to put off, though. It was a battle, the calm before the storm of full-on war.

“You know, we’re a tough program,” Hurley said. “We’re a group of fighters. You know, it’s not appealing to everyone. I’m sure there’s some people in here that it’s off putting for. We’re incredibly tough. We’ve got incredible will. And we go into these games, we’re ready for battle again. For us, it’s not a game that we’re just kind of running around in uniforms, throwing the ball around hoping it goes in. That’s not what we’re doing out there. You know, we’re fighting.

“It’s a life and death struggle for us to get to Monday night for the opportunity to win a championship.”

Hurley is a villain, but not because of his behavior or mannerisms. It’s because he’s already one of the best, most consistent killers in the NCAA Tournament. He stomps on dreams and laughs in the tunnel on the way back to the locker room.

During his postgame interview, which was displayed on the Jumbotron in Lucas Oil Stadium. The crowd relentlessly booed.

“Are they booing? The headbutt?” Hurley questioned. “I don’t know what they’re booing”

People love a winner. But if you win too much, you become the villain.

That’s what they’re booing.