KINGSTON, R.I. – March 22, 2018 – University of Rhode Island men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley has resigned from his position and accepted a similar position with the University of Connecticut.
The University of Rhode Island, the Department of Athletics, the URI Foundation and state leadership made a strong bid to keep Hurley at the school, but now the focus will shift to finding the next head coach for the Rams.
“Dan Hurley brought Rhode Island basketball to unprecedented heights, and he leaves the program in a far better place than it was when he arrived,” Rhode Island Director of Athletics Thorr Bjorn said. “I wish nothing but the best for him and his family moving forward.”
A national search for the next head coach will begin immediately. No further comment about the search will be provided until the search is complete.
“A good friend once told me, ‘There are far more great coaches than there are great programs.’ I believe we have a great program here at Rhode Island,” Bjorn said. “We are fully committed to building on the level of excellence that our fans and supporters have come to expect.”
Over the last six seasons, Hurley has resurrected the Rhode Island program. He is the only coach in team history to win both an Atlantic 10 tournament title and an A-10 regular season title. Hurley also is the only person to coach the Rams to wins in two different NCAA Championships, bringing the team to the Round of 32 in each of the last two seasons.
During the 2017-18 season, Rhode Island was ranked in the top 25 of both national polls for the final seven weeks of the regular season, the longest run in program history. The Rams – boosted by a 16-game winning streak – received votes in both polls every week of the entire season, the first time a Rhode Island team has done so.
With an overall mark of 113-82, Hurley ranks fifth in wins in Rhode Island history. Among coaches with at least 100 games coached for the Rams, only Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Frank Keaney has a higher winning percentage (.764). Hurley’s 91 victories since 2014-15 are the most over a four-year span in program history.