UConn head coach Dan Hurley was fined $25,000 by the Big East Conference on Saturday night for unsportsmanlike conduct in the final seconds of the Huskies’ 68-62 loss to Marquette at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Dan Hurley Went Ballistic on a Veteran Referee in the Last Seconds of the UConn-Marquette Game
The two-time national champion coach was frustrated by a clear no-call during a game-tying attempt by point guard Silas Demary Jr. with 1.0 second left when UConn trailed 64-62. He confronted veteran official and head referee John Gaffney and expressed his opinions on why a foul should have been called.
Hurley received two technical fouls after aggressively confronting a game official, which led to his immediate ejection, according to the Big East. The Huskies coach stayed on the court as officials reviewed the game clock. He then went to the locker room, and the game continued.
The action proved costly for the team, as Ross made four free throws after Hurley’s violation and the foul that followed Demary’s missed shot.
Field of 68 co-founder and basketball analyst Jeff Goodman reported that Big East officials reviewed the incident after the game and released their findings, stating: “Initial speculation on the game broadcast indicated possible contact between Hurley and the official; however, a review by the conference office of the officials’ game report and available game footage could not confirm physical contact.”
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Hurley explained his side during post-game media availability and insisted that he did not make physical contact with Gaffney.
“I don’t think I bumped the ref. I thought I got close to yelling at John. If John thinks I bumped him, he’ll say I bumped him. I think I yelled into the back of his head, ‘Foul! Foul!,'” the eighth-year Huskies coach said. “You could screen-shot whatever you want to screen shot. I don’t feel like I made any contact with John. I don’t believe I did.”
Hurley also criticized the foul called on Tarris Reed Jr. in the first half, believing the Marquette player should have been called for traveling before Reed committed the foul. He also disputed the UConn forward’s third foul, which resulted from a push-off during a rebound attempt.
Big East commissioner Val Ackerman emphasized that the conference will not tolerate coaches engaging in inappropriate interactions with game officials. She also stated that coaches are expected to demonstrate sportsmanlike conduct during the game.
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The conference did not suspend Hurley for the unsportsmanlike act, and he will be on the sidelines in the Big East Tournament, which begins on March 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
“I’ve been ejected before and I’ve been back out there,” Hurley said. “It’s not my first rodeo.”
UConn’s loss dropped them to 17-3 in the Big East and 27-4 overall, allowing St. John’s (25-6, 18-2 Big East) to claim the conference regular-season title. The win qualified the Golden Eagles (12-19, 7-13 Big East) for the Big East Tournament.
