UConn’s Dan Hurley Regrets Postgame Comments About Refs After Florida Loss

Days after UConn’s loss to Florida in the NCAA Tournament, Dan Hurley spoke to the media about his negative comments toward the officiating he shared in the tunnel.

UConn’s Dan Hurley Regrets Postgame Comments

Dan Hurley Media Availability | 3.26.25 pic.twitter.com/GLTt2jyWO8

— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) March 26, 2025

Following Sunday’s loss, Joey Ellis of Queen City News posted a video of Hurley complaining about the officiating in UConn’s 77-75 loss to Florida in the second round of March Madness.

“I hope they don’t f— you like they f—– us,” Hurley said about the officiating in the tunnel. “I hope they don’t do that to you, Baylor.”

On Wednesday, Hurley expressed his regrets, admitting that Florida “earned” the victory and complimented the refs.

“Those are three great officials on that game, so, although I said something in the heat of the moment, in an area of the arena that in pretty much every game I’ve ever coached in college has been media-free,” Hurley said to reporters via UConn. “Past the tunnel, by the locker rooms, in the hallway where the coaches go, that’s for the combatants; that’s for the competitors. That’s not for camera phones. Just relative to that, those were three great refs, and Florida earned it.

The loss ended a 13-game winning streak in the NCAA Tournament and UConn’s run of two straight national championships. Hurley knows his comments took away from the team’s accomplishments.

If I don’t have that emotional outburst there, probably all people are talking about is the run we’ve had, the amazing players,” Hurley said.

While Hurley does not apologize for how he coaches games, he does believe he can improve how he handles his off-court comments.

“It’s one of those things where they’re mistakes. There are things I wish I didn’t do. It’s part of what you get with me,” Hurley said. “I hope to not do it again. I’m going to attempt to take measures both internally, mentally and externally. I wouldn’t change one aspect of how I coach a game or how hard we fight. [But] I’d like to get on and off the court without incident.”

Dan Hurley Speaks About Threat By UConn Men’s Comm Director

Just a quick (and hopefully final) update: Bobby Mullen and I spoke a short time ago, during which he apologized for his behavior. I accepted it … and life rolls on. https://t.co/LymGRxJpYf

— Joey Ellis (@Jellis1016) March 25, 2025

After Ellis posted the video, Charlotte Sports Live did a follow-up story on the incident.

Bobby Mullen, UConn’s director of men’s basketball communications, verbally threatened Ellis to remove the video.

Hurley shared Mullen’s regrets and blamed himself for getting him into that situation.

“Bobby regrets, just like I regret the moments I’ve had. Obviously it’s all my fault that Bobby got pulled into it,” Hurley said. “I set the whole thing in motion, and I feel horrible. Obviously he could’ve handled dealing with the media person with the phone that took the video [differently], he could’ve obviously let it go. He should’ve been better trained for a situation like this, we’ve been in them all year.

Ellis said that Mullen later apologized.