Dan Hurley’s dad is basketball legend but his | Sports News

The Hurley household stands as one of America’s most famous basketball dynasties, with roots in New Jersey but affect spanning your complete nation.

Bobby Hurley earned All-American honors at Duke, securing two NCAA championships because the Blue Devils’ place to begin guard within the early Nineties. Dan Hurley presently leads the UConn males’s basketball program, having just lately captured back-to-back national championships. His group is pursuing a third March Madness crown following a dramatic buzzer-beating victory over Duke.

Both are sons of legendary coach Bob Hurley, the only member of the family enshrined within the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He by no means labored on the collegiate degree: the elder Hurley devoted 45 years to teaching high faculty boys basketball at St. Anthony’s in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Hurley may need prolonged his teaching profession had St. Anthony’s not abruptly shuttered as a consequence of financial difficulties in 2017.

He was 70 years outdated and had already amassed 28 state championships and three national Coach of the Year honors. A complete of 150 of Hurley’s gamers superior to Division 1 faculty basketball.

What led to St. Anthony’s closure? The 160-student Catholic establishment confronted particular necessities from the native Archdiocese of Newark, which demanded elevated fundraising and expanded enrollment.

“Even with fundraising that will generate close to $1.5M by the end of June, this amount is still insufficient to maintain operating expenses and cover debt payment to the Archdiocese,” Hurley wrote in a assertion.

“In addition, the projected enrollment for 2017-2018 does not provide the revenues required to operate the school going forward. Population changes in Jersey City and the surrounding area have adversely affected Catholic school enrollment in the past several years. Competition from special programs in public schools as well as newly formed charter schools has also eroded enrollment.”

Hurley’s program nurtured three future NBA first-round draft picks: Kyle Anderson, Terry Dehere, and Rodrick Rhodes. Numerous different gamers continued their careers professionally.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop praised the college’s basketball program following the announcement of its closure. “Saint Anthony’s had a reputation that went far beyond the national recognition as the best boys’ high school basketball team in the country,” he stated.

“It was known as a place that provided students from an urban area a strong academic and moral education and the skills to become future leaders. We are all saddened by this news.”