GLENDALE, ARIZONA - APRIL 08: Head coach Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies cuts down the net after beating the Purdue Boilermakers 75-60 to win the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament National Championship game at State Farm Stadium on April 08, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Dan Hurley would have had the support of LeBron James if he decided to take the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coaching job.

“Incredible message from him over the course of the weekend,” Hurley said during a Thursday appearance on the Herd with Colin Cowherd when revealing he texted with the King while making a decision. “Just talking about basketball and some different things and letting me know that if he was there in L.A. that I’d have his support.”

He also said, “it blew my mind when you get a text message from LeBron James.”

It seemed like the job was Hurley’s if he wanted it, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday that he turned down Los Angeles’ six-year, $70 million offer and decided to remain with the UConn Huskies.

While the Lakers are one of the most famous franchises in professional sports, there may have been some concerns.

Matt Norlander of CBS Sports reported some within the industry view the head coaching job below other opportunities and added that “the Lakers’ ownership group is cash-strapped relative to other franchises” and is facing “constraints” moving forward.

James, who has a player option for next season, will turn 40 during the upcoming campaign, while Anthony Davis will turn 32 with an extensive injury history.

There also isn’t a long track record of sustainability for coaches, as nobody has lasted more than three seasons in the role since Phil Jackson retired in 2011. Frank Vogel was given just two more seasons after he won the title in 2020, and Darvin Ham lasted for a total of two seasons even though he reached the Western Conference Finals in his first.

Los Angeles now has to turn its attention elsewhere, and Wojnarowski reported Thursday that JJ Redick has a formal interview scheduled for the upcoming weekend where “a strong performance is expected to move him to the forefront of the franchise’s search.”

Redick does not have any coaching experience, but he played in the NBA for 15 seasons and hosts a podcast, Mind the Game, with James.

As for Hurley, it’s not hard to see why he wanted to stay at UConn.

The Huskies will be going for a third straight national championship during the upcoming season and are the gold standard of the sport for the time being. They were a dominant 37-3 last season and steamrolled their way through the Big Dance, and expectations are once again high for the 2024-25 campaign.

Coaching James would have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but so is chasing a three-peat and a potential dynasty in the collegiate ranks.