Why Dan Hurley sees UConn assistants Kimani Young, Luke Murray as head coaches: 'More than ready'

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Dan Hurley is the public face of the best college basketball program over the past 12 months, the grimacing and frowning and grinning face that brings the UConn men's basketball team to life.

But there's been a consistent message from Hurley that's stretched from the Huskies run to last year's NCAA title through this weekend's Final Four appearance: UConn's success is a group coaching effort. Hurley has continually promoted the behind-the-scenes work of his deputies, associate head coach Kimani Young and and assistant Luke Murray.

Consider last week in Boston: "We have NBA-level players that are incredibly well-prepared by Luke Murray and Kimani Young, two of the best coaches in the country, assistant head coaches, two of the best that do it."

Or Friday, behind a microphone in Arizona: "Luke and Kimani, those two guys, they're head coach quality. They're high-major-level head coach quality. Those two guys have no holes in their game at all. They're highest level recruiters, great player development, great with tactics, understanding the branding piece, great motivators."

The Huskies are two wins from becoming the first team since 2007 to win back-to-back titles. They've rolled to the national semifinals with a considerably different lineup this season, yet so much is the same — active and relentless defense, the ability to pull ahead with quick runs, ball movement and discipline.

Oh, and preparation. 

"That's them," senior Hassan Diarra said. "I mean, this program doesn't go without them. They're so important. How they bring it every day. The scouts they're able to make, game plans they're able to make, we're so prepared. It's amazing at what they do."

As the Huskies face Alabama in the national semifinal Saturday, Hurley and his players are aware that this group is experiencing the last leg of special season. The Huskies may lose their entire starting lineup after the season.

They may also lose one or two of the important cogs on Hurley's staff. Young, who came to UConn from Minnesota after Hurley was hired in 2018, has long been viewed a future head coach and could be pursued after the season. Murray, hired by Hurley in 2021, is also seen as a future head coach with the reputation as a strong recruiter with a strength in analytics.

UConn's third assistant is Tom Moore, who has a decade of head coaching experience at Quinnipiac. Moore, according to Hurley, has served in a general manager-like role dealing with the transfer portal and name, image and likeness issues.

But having a former head coach adds another layer of experience to the staff. And Hurley has emboldened Young and Murray to take lead roles, which will only help prepare them for an eventual head job.

"Really, I'm surrounded by three head coaches every day," Alex Karaban said. "Coach Kimani and Coach Luke, we wouldn't be here without them. The game plans that they do, the scouting, the detailed scouting, how they push us everyday in practice, what they teach us offensively defensively. I mean, I'm just blessed to be able to be around them for two and a half years now."

Murray, a Farifield graduate, coached under Hurley at Wagner and Rhode Island. He's also coached at such stops as Xavier and Louisville.

Among his contributions at UConn: Murray shares clips of plays from games all over the world.

"He's sends a lot of clips," Hurley said. "I mean, we've watched it all. Turkey, teams in Turkey. The Japanese league. We watch low Division I, Division II. Obviously we're watching women's college basketball. We're watching a lot."

Murray recruited Karaban, a Massachusetts native who attended New Hampton School in New Hampshire and played at IMG Academy in Florida.

"Just how he communicates with me, the vision that he saw for me and the belief that he has in me and the confidence that he gives me every day," Karaban said. "I mean, he's been one of the best coaches that I've ever been around and he's going to be a great head coach. He just needs that opportunity."

Karaban arrived at UConn in January 2022 and spent the rest of that season with the team as redshirt. That's when he bonded with Young.

"He took his time to work me out during my redshirt year before every home game," Karaban said. "So he really invested everything. He wasn't focused on the home game, he was focused on me at that moment. He made sure that I needed to get better every day.

 "So, yeah, both of those guys mean everything to me. I love them."

Freshman Stephon Castle, the engine behind UConn's smothering defense, said the team's preparation and team defense is the product of Young and Murray.

"We're super-prepared for big games like this because of them," Castle said. "They break down our scouts pretty well and they put us in great positions defensively to be successful. I think a lot of our defensive success goes out to them. ... I mean, we've been having our best defensive performances lately and all credit goes out to them."

Said Diarra, "I could see both of them running their own program today because their so knowledgeable and smart."

When will that come? Young made $857,627 in 2023. Murray's 2023 salary was $540,706.

Neither needs to jump at the first opportunity, especially as coaches at the best program in the country.

"You know, Luke and Kimani, we've got the resources to take great care of them," Hurley said. "They're well-taken care of here and they're not going to take a job that's not a great job. They're in a great place and they're making great money and they're not going to leave for anything but a high-level mid-major plus, high major kind of job.

"But they're ready. They're more than ready."