Inside the mind of Dan Hurley, UConn's dynastic mastermind

Trophies. They can mean a number of things to a number of people, and they materialize in such a variety of forms that the definition of the word itself has become a mystery. For some, it could be a golden 5th-place regional bowling trophy hanging on the nightstand. Maybe a mug that says 'world's best dad'. Perhaps even the proverbial 'trophy wife' or the head of a majestic elk hanging above the mantle's roaring flame. Trophies are a token of one's pride. The objects of affection that point toward an individual's accomplishments and values.

In the eyes of UConn's Dan Hurley, the only trophy worth anything in his entire display case is the big one: the Division 1 NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship. No frills, no nuance; just hardware. Hurley has his scope locked to one goal at the genesis of every college basketball season, the very throne upon which he's claimed control in two seasons with the UConn Huskies.

He's made a name for himself in the realm of college basketball as one of the sport's most captivating characters. For better or for worse. Many view him as a mastermind of personnel management, a wizard whose recruiting chops and understanding of X's and O's are rivaled by few. A figure who both demands and receives a great deal of respect from his colleagues and players, and perhaps the most potent coaching force in the college basketball world today.

Others see him as a psychotic drill sergeant. A manic puppeteer whose entire existence revolves around an obsession with superiority -- with dominance -- and who will do or say anything to force his will into his players (as well as the officials) at the risk of tearing the very fabric of sportsmanship and/or the basketball equivalent of the Geneva Convention.

From an external perspective, Hurley's methods can appear psychotic and borderline abusive. That's the side of Hurley that the headlines love to display: the crazed lunatic who constantly straddles a shoddily drafted line between a vitriolic tantrum and unrestrained disdain for those he deems below him. Constantly one loose screw from gripping an official by the throat and strangling him in plain view of the world.

And to be fair, the reel of his on-court antics is pretty sizable. Berating officials, screaming at his players, and lighting off the flamethrower as the game narrows to its close, Hurley's reputation as a winner is constantly overshadowed by his reputation as a tinderbox -- one match and he's up in flames.

Following a narrow loss to top-seeded Florida in the second round of last year's tournament, the Husky head coach had a final word for the awaiting Baylor Bears in the tunnel. "I hope they don't [expletive] you like they [expletive] us," he slipped to the future victims of the night's officiating crew. "I hope they don't do that to you, Baylor."

In a Maui Invitational battle with Memphis, Hurley spit venom at the officials in the contest's waning moments. Rewarding the coach with a technical foul only brought out his fangs.

These aren't isolated incidents; his fire runs on an infinite tank of propane, and he's more than happy to share it with anyone in his path. And the truth is, Hurley is plenty aware that his anger reflects poorly on himself as well as his program.

In a spot with 60 Minutes, Hurley confessed embarrassment over his rage-induced soundbites, particularly an instance that saw the 2-time national champion spew, "don't turn your back on me. I'm the best coach in the [expletive] sport!" at a referee over a free throw disparity.

"I'm complex," Hurley admitted. "Now listen, I had no idea that -- if I knew the camera was on me, there's no way I would have said it. But I'm embarrassed."

In addition to that incidental humiliation, Hurley has even touched on how challenging the college basketball season can be to himself. This past season was especially grueling, as the back-to-back champions struggled during the regular season, stumbling to an eight-seed in the tournament and getting knocked out before the second weekend.

"Having a year like we just had, which was very challenging, it took me to a point where I did think about taking a gap year or being done," Hurley shared with CBS following the Huskies' exit. "I had a [expletive] year. I didn't coach my best, I didn't lead my best. I didn't put together a group that could compete for the things we wanted to compete for."

On his final attention-grabbing quote to Baylor after the coach's early exit, Hurley also shared regret for stealing the spotlight from his players, casting a poor light on the team's efforts as a whole.

"There's a tax you pay for the success of the past couple of years," said Hurley. "Then we end the year with an emotional loss, and we have one final incident to end the year, which takes all the focus away from everything we'd done the last couple years." 

"It was all my doing. I'm not a victim. We have enough victims in the world. I did it to myself, and I did it throughout the year.

Truly, it's not hard to imagine how working as seriously as a Dan Hurley-type can be on one's mental well-being. Say what you will about the coach's divisive antics, but no one can accuse Hurley of being 'indifferent'.

Those within the organization see Hurley differently. Not as a monster, nor as a detriment to the integrity of his team. Sure, he's abrasive, but the results point us to a healthy and thriving program. When you hear him speak on why he demands so much from his players, the rationale is solid.

"You invest every second that you can in them," he shared with the media during the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. "Both on the court and off the court, truly, you just pour everything you have into them. Your family is intertwined with your program, and I think players sense that. They feel that. My players will accept the hard coaching from me and our staff, because they know how much we love them."

UConn players and the program's recruiting success support that sentiment. Top talent from across the nation, fully aware of Dan Hurley's reputation, see his program as a refiner's fire. An environment where hard-working coaches and hard-working players unite to produce excellence on a basketball court.

Building a winner is no small task, and the proven Huskies will be tested against an up-and-coming BYU basketball program on Saturday, November 11. The eyes of the nation will fall upon this top-10 matchup, and BYU head coach Kevin Young will shoulder the burden of coaching against one of the best basketball minds in the nation -- professional or otherwise.

Hurley takes this meeting with the 7th-ranked Cougars very seriously, noting BYU's star power and intimidation factor leading into the coming matchup.

"When you watch clips of BYU and AJ and Saunders, they've got one of the best point guards in the country. When you see that quality on film, you get scared straight. Things that worked [in] the first three games won't work. But you get the chance to play in Boston against one of the best teams in the country, so it should be fun."

BYU basketball faces the toughest challenge in their non-conference schedule, and possibly their entire season, against a proven coach and a dyed-in-the-wool blue blood. For a head coach like Kevin Young, a measuring-stick game against Dan Hurley is an invaluable opportunity.