University of Connecticut Athletics
Dan Hurley Named BIG EAST Coach of the Year
3/13/2024 1:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK – Following one of the most dominant seasons in BIG EAST conference history, UConn men's basketball head coach Dan Hurley has been named BIG EAST Coach of the Year. Hurley charged the Huskies to an 18-2 league record, posting the most wins in a conference campaign in BIG EAST history.
Hurley becomes the second coach to win BIG EAST Coach of the Year in UConn history, after Jim Calhoun won the honor four times (1989-90, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1997-98). It is Hurley's second conference Coach of the Year honor after winning A-10 Coach of the Year in 2017-18.
The Huskies set or broke several records during BIG EAST play this season in addition to the total wins mark. Connecticut out-scored league foes by a +13.9 scoring margin, tying the 1984-85 Georgetown squad for the best in conference history. UConn went on a 14-game BIG EAST winning streak from Dec. 23 to Feb. 17, also tying a conference record for longest streak in a single-season. The Huskies won the league by four games, tied for the most separation atop the league standings in the conference's history.
Hurley saw five of his players earn conference accolades at the conclusion of the league season. Both Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer picked up First Team All-BIG EAST honors, marking the third-straight season that UConn has had multiple First Team selections. Stephon Castle was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and was the lone unanimous pick to the All-Freshman team. Hassan Diarra earned the BIG EAST Sixth Man Award and Donovan Clingan was an All-League Honorable Mention.
Connecticut swept eight league foes this season and did not lose a game on its home floor. It recorded the third-largest margin of victory in a game in BIG EAST history in a 99-56 rout of Xavier on Jan. 28 and also set or tied the program's all-time highest scoring margins against longtime league rivals Georgetown and Villanova. UConn won seven BIG EAST games this year by at least 20 points. That is the most such wins in conference play in the history of the BIG EAST, topping the previous mark of six 20-point wins by Villanova in 1994-95 and 2017-18.
The Huskies under Hurley have achieved tremendous balance this season, sporting the only starting five in America to each average at least 10 points and four rebounds per game. UConn is tops in the conference in both scoring offense and scoring defense and ranks among the national leaders in nearly every major category on both sides of the ball.
UConn set a program-record with 28 regular season wins under Hurley this season. On Feb. 14 at DePaul he won his 50th BIG EAST game in 70 outings, becoming the second-fastest coach to reach 50 league wins in conference history behind only John Thompson, Jr. who did it in 67 games.
All of this was accomplished after Hurley and the Huskies lost three starters and five of their top eight scorers from last year's squad.
Hurley's top-seeded Huskies begin BIG EAST Tournament play on Thursday with quarterfinal action against either Butler or Xavier at noon.
