Dan Hurley has coached his way to two national titles with UConn, but even after an overtime win against Villanova on Saturday, he found himself in the presence of a man who casts a long, legendary shadow over the program: Jim Calhoun.
The Hall of Famer was in the building at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, taking in the Huskies’ gritty Big East victory. After the game, Calhoun and Hurley shared a heartfelt embrace outside the locker room tunnel - a meeting between the program’s past and present, and a reminder of the standard that still looms large in Storrs.
Later, Hurley took to social media to acknowledge that moment, reposting photos of the exchange with a message that said it all: “The 🐐 is on Mount Rushmore of the Greatest College Coaches of All Time.”
That reverence isn’t just for show. Calhoun is one of only six coaches in men’s college basketball history to win at least three national championships.
His 877 career wins rank eighth all-time, just a handful behind Roy Williams. He didn’t just build UConn into a powerhouse - he redefined the program’s ceiling.
So when Calhoun offered a postgame critique of Hurley’s squad, Hurley didn’t brush it off. He leaned in.
“I think coach rattled off about four or five things we suck at,” Hurley said with a smile during his postgame press conference. “I just wanted to kind of ask him how he was feeling, thank him for being there and tell him I love him. I appreciate everything he's been able to do.”
That mix of humility and hunger is part of what’s fueled Hurley’s own rise. He’s not just winning - he’s still learning. And when the teacher is Jim Calhoun, you listen.
“I then went into the locker room and put in a note section of my phone of all the things that he said we need to get better at,” Hurley said. “I actually bypassed the team, went right in and took those notes down.
Every time I get a chance to be around coach, I learn something, from the day I got here. He's a treasure.”
Calhoun’s own journey at UConn started back in 1986, when he took over a program that had little history of winning. By his second season, he had already brought home an NIT title.
By the end of the '80s, he had the Huskies ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll. And from there, the dynasty was born.
On Saturday, UConn needed a bounce-back performance from star guard Solo Ball to escape Villanova’s upset bid. It was another tight finish in a rugged Big East schedule, the kind of game that tests a team’s resolve - and a coach’s ability to adapt.
For Hurley, that adaptability includes listening to the man who built the foundation he now stands on.
This wasn’t just a photo op between two coaches. It was a passing of wisdom, another chapter in a legacy that continues to evolve. Calhoun may no longer be pacing the sideline, but his presence still matters - and Hurley knows it.