Dan Hurley Admits Jealousy Over Duke Landing Cooper Flagg: “That One Hurt”

Dan Hurley is never shy about speaking his mind. The UConn men’s basketball head coach, who has built a national championship-winning program on grit, passion, and talent development, has always worn his heart on his sleeve. So when he recently opened up about Duke’s success in landing Cooper Flagg, the nation’s No. 1 prospect and one of the most hyped recruits in years, his honesty was both refreshing and revealing.

“That one hurt,” Hurley confessed during a recent interview when asked about Flagg’s decision to commit to Duke over UConn. “You dream about coaching a kid like that. A game-changer. A program-shifter. We went after him hard. Real hard. And when we didn’t get him… yeah, I was jealous.”

Cooper Flagg, the 6-foot-9 forward from Maine, was at the center of a heated recruiting battle last year between several blue blood programs. Duke ultimately came out on top, securing Flagg’s commitment and setting the stage for a star-studded freshman season. And while UConn wasn’t the only high-profile program to miss out, Hurley’s candid reflection sheds light on what it’s like behind the scenes when you come close to landing a generational talent—and fall just short.

For Hurley, the pursuit of Flagg wasn’t just about adding another talented player to an already loaded roster. It was about matching energy with energy, aligning UConn’s recent national success with the kind of transcendent player who could elevate the Huskies into a new tier of dominance.

“Look, we believed we had the right pitch,” Hurley said. “We had the championships. We had the culture. We had the platform to make him a star. And I think he saw that. But in the end, there’s something about Duke—the brand, the history, the mystique—that still carries a lot of weight.”

That mystique has long been a factor in the Blue Devils’ recruiting dominance. From Coach K to Jon Scheyer, Duke has a lineage of pulling in top-five talent year after year. Flagg’s commitment wasn’t just another recruiting win for Duke—it was a statement. A declaration that, even in a new era of NIL and transfer portal madness, the Blue Devils still command the spotlight.

But Hurley isn’t the kind of coach who sulks for long. Even while admitting his frustration, he made it clear that the loss only sharpened UConn’s focus. “Missing out on Flagg didn’t break us,” he said. “If anything, it made us hungrier. We doubled down on what we do. Develop guys. Build toughness. Win games.”

UConn, of course, has done plenty of that under Hurley. Back-to-back Final Four appearances and a national title in 2023 have cemented the program as one of the sport’s current powerhouses. And Hurley has proven he can win with both elite recruits and under-the-radar grinders who blossom under his watch.

Still, the idea of Flagg in a Huskies uniform is a tantalizing what-if.

“We had the vision,” Hurley said. “We talked to Cooper and his family about legacy. About being the guy in Storrs. We weren’t just offering a roster spot. We were offering a stage. A legacy. A shot at becoming one of the greatest Huskies ever. And I think he respected that.”

What Hurley and UConn couldn’t match, perhaps, was the sheer gravitational pull of Duke’s brand. The Cameron Indoor experience. The Brotherhood. The lineage of NBA stars who wore that iconic jersey. In the end, it may have been less about X’s and O’s and more about aura.

Flagg’s freshman season at Duke has already justified the hype. His skill, poise, and two-way dominance have made him a projected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. He’s become must-see TV and a social media sensation. The Blue Devils, while not winning a title, were bolstered by his all-around impact. He was, in every sense, that guy.

Hurley has followed Flagg’s ascent with a mix of admiration and what he calls “competitive envy.”

“I love watching him play,” Hurley said. “I really do. But every time I see him hit a big shot or make a ridiculous block, I’m thinking, ‘Damn, that could’ve been us.’ I mean, Cooper in our system? Forget about it. It would’ve been special.”

There’s no bitterness in Hurley’s voice—just the kind of raw competitiveness that has made him one of the sport’s most respected coaches. He acknowledges that Flagg made the best decision for himself and praises the young star for living up to the enormous pressure.

“Cooper’s a class act,” he said. “He handled the hype better than most grown men could. And he’s delivered. No hate at all. Just respect—and yeah, a little bit of wishing he was in Husky blue.”

Interestingly, Hurley also believes that the recruiting miss taught his staff valuable lessons. In the era of NIL deals and transfer buzz, relationships and authenticity matter more than ever. And Hurley, never one to fake his passion, believes that UConn will remain in the mix for elite talent.

“You can’t win them all,” he said. “But we’re gonna win our share. We’re not going anywhere. In fact, we’re just getting started.”

If there’s one thing clear from Hurley’s reflections, it’s that he’s not done swinging for the fences. He wants more banners. More NBA stars. More names like Flagg considering Storrs their basketball home.

“We’ve got the rings. We’ve got the culture. And next time, maybe we get the next Cooper Flagg,” he said with a grin. “Maybe the next one says, ‘I want what UConn has.’”

Flagg’s decision may have been a short-term sting for the Huskies, but in the long run, it might add fuel to their fire. With Hurley at the helm, UConn remains a destination—and a threat. And if Cooper Flagg ever wondered how close he came to becoming a Husky legend, Dan Hurley just gave him the answer: real close.

It’s rare in today’s college basketball landscape to hear such unfiltered honesty from a coach about the recruiting process, especially about the ones that got away. But that’s Hurley. That’s UConn. Passionate. Proud. And always pushing.

“We tip our cap to Duke,” Hurley said. “But if we get another shot like that, don’t count us out. We’ll be ready.”