Dan Hurley to the Lakers Isn’t As Risky As It Sounds

AP Images/Ringer illustration Don't let the UConn head coach's lack of NBA experience fool you. The notion that a college coach can't handle the pros is woefully outdated. "I always thought it was inaccurate," says P.J. Carlesimo. If Dan Hurley—the latest glitzy name to emerge in the Los Angeles Lakers' coaching search—were to win the job, he would face some potentially daunting challenges: a superstar nearing his 40th birthday, a flimsy supporting cast, a dearth of young talent, and of course the usual soaring expectations that come with a splashy hire. But if Hurley, who just coached Connecticut to back-to-back national championships, were to stumble in Los Angeles, it almost certainly wouldn't be due to a lack of NBA experience, or some fatalistic belief that college coaches are doomed to fail at the pro level, just because so many others did. From the moment Hurley's name surfaced Wednesday morning, in a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the usual tropes and cautionary tales began flooding back: Jerry Tarkanian. Rick Pitino. John Calipari. Lon Kruger. Leonard Hamilton. John Beilein. Fred Hoiberg. And on and on. But the league has changed, and the basketball world is...