![Geno Auriemma]()
Many of the greats in sports have an insatiable, innate competitiveness and a compulsive addiction to winning that they will stop at nothing to keep piling up accolades until they literally can't do it anymore. UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma fits that billing to a T. Geno doesn't
need to keep coaching. He doesn't
need to be
pouring his heart out at the podium after losing to Caitlin Clark. The man has led the Huskies to
eleven national championships. Twenty-three Final Four appearances. He just turned 70 in March.
And yet, bless him, here Geno is: Signing a five-year extension at UConn and giving us some headline-worthy soundbites rather than going gently into the sunset of retirement. On the latter account, Auriemma voiced his full-throated support for
UConn men's coach Dan Hurley, who the Los Angeles Lakers are circling as their next potential hire. In this all-time great coach's eyes, Hurley is the man for the Purple and Gold gig, and a clear cut above reported finalist/NBA veteran/prolific podcaster/ESPN personality JJ Redick.
https://twitter.com/dpshow/status/1798724944194318692
Does some of this stem from Redick being the ultimate Duke villain in college, and that the Blue Devils and Huskies — who have admittedly far bigger rivalries than each other — have traded blows on big college hoops stages over the years? Perhaps. Nevertheless, it's equal parts cool to see Auriemma backing Hurley with such fervor and intriguing/a bit petty to shade Redick's credentials (or lack thereof).
Sure feels like a bit of a cheap shot at JJ. Mind you,
not as extreme as one from Chennedy Carter, but a cheap shot all the same. Geno could've gassed up Hurley until the cows came home without blatantly insulting another prospective candidate. But he went there.
Redick has been known to clap back at some of his detractors on social media. No response as of yet. Then again, I'll bet JJ might lay low on that front for a while with the Lakers' job hanging in the balance. The fact that Redick does a podcast with LeBron is fascinating — as is the fact that he had Hurley on his own pod, with The King giving Hurley a ringing endorsement for one particular clip:
https://twitter.com/GoldenKnightGFX/status/1798672529055531218
The plot thickens.
Speaking of the plot thickening, we have another sensational
scoop battle going on between Woj and Shams. The former came out firing this morning about Hurley being the front-runner for the Lakers' gig, whereas Shams has reported all along that Redick, along with James Borrego, was a leader in the clubhouse.
https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1798393434069409837
https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1798725506487243208
Just as Auriemma and Hurley are relentless in their pursuit of championships, Woj and Shams are dynastic NBA insiders with a shared history and no end in sight as to when they'll cease "I WAS FIRST" face-offs for the biggest basketball news.
We'll all find out together soon whether Hurley, Redick, or another dark-horse candidate emerges with one of the most high-profile coaching jobs in all of sports. With Hurley coming off back-to-back national titles at UConn, it'd be quite a stunner to see him bolt for the NBA. Not every day the Lakers job is open, though — and in addition to getting to coach LeBron in the twilight of his career, Hurley could really make his mark on the iconic franchise and on basketball history with a rebuild/reload project even when The King is finished playing.
Huskies players are reportedly in the loop. So is their women's coach. Hurley isn't hiding from any of this. What a watershed moment he has on his hands. Color me compelled.
https://twitter.com/John_Fanta/status/1798743846098214921
