Wagner College Athletics

Dan Hurley Luke Murray

Athletics

Former Wagner Coaches Dan Hurley and Luke Murray Head to NCAA Final Four with UConn

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Former Wagner men's basketball head coach Dan Hurley and former assistant coach Luke Murray will represent UConn on college basketball's biggest stage, as the Huskies prepare for the NCAA Men's Final Four this weekend in Indianapolis.

Hurley, Murray, and No. 2 UConn are set to face No. 3 Illinois on Saturday, April 4.

Hurley spent two seasons at Wagner, compiling a 38–23 overall record while orchestrating one of the most dramatic turnarounds in program history. In his first season (2010–11), he guided the Seahawks to an eight-win improvement — the best mark among first-year head coaches nationally — finishing with 13 wins and a sixth-place showing in the Northeast Conference (NEC).

The following season, Hurley led the Green & White to a 25–6 record, setting a program single-season wins record. He finished his Wagner tenure with a 24–12 mark in NEC play.

A native of Jersey City, N.J., Hurley went on to spend six seasons at Rhode Island, leading the Rams to two NCAA Tournament appearances before taking over at UConn in 2018. Since then, he has built a national powerhouse, highlighted by NCAA National Championships in 2023 and 2024, three Final Four appearances, and a Big East regular season and tournament sweep in 2024. Hurley also earned Big East, Sporting News National, and Naismith Coach of the Year honors in 2024, while developing ten NBA players, including 2025 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle.

Prior to his time at Wagner, Hurley established St. Benedict's Preparatory School as one of the nation's premier high school programs. Over nine seasons (2001–10), he posted a 223–21 record, coached four McDonald's All-Americans, and led four teams to top-five national rankings.

Hurley is a graduate of St. Anthony High School, where he played for his father, Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley. He later starred at Seton Hall, scoring 1,070 career points while helping the program to three NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT berth.

Following his playing career, Hurley began coaching at St. Anthony before spending four seasons at Rutgers, where he contributed to two NIT appearances.

Murray served as an assistant coach at Wagner during the 2010–11 season under Hurley, playing a key role in the program's eight-win turnaround. He was recently named the head men's basketball coach at Boston College on March 26, 2026.

Before arriving at Wagner, Murray held roles at Quinnipiac, Post, and Arizona. Following his time on Grymes Hill, he coached two seasons at Towson before rejoining Hurley at Rhode Island in 2013.

Murray later spent three seasons at Xavier, helping the program to an 81–26 record and three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight run in 2017. He then moved to Louisville, where he contributed to a No. 1 national ranking during the 2019–20 season and a top-10 recruiting class, compiling a 57–28 record over three seasons.

Murray reunited with Hurley at UConn ahead of the 2021 season, where the pair have continued their success on the national stage.
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