Connecticut men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley will receive a $500,000 bonus for leading the Huskies to victory over Purdue in the NCAA men’s tournament championship game. Along with the net, trophy, and ring, this substantial bonus serves as a well-deserved recognition of Hurley’s exceptional coaching skills and the team’s remarkable achievement.
Winning back-to-back national titles guarantees Hurley a minimum of $1.8 million in bonuses, making him the first coach since 2006-07 to achieve this feat. Connecticut’s triumph also hinges upon the team’s academic achievements, with the potential for Hurley to earn up to his contractual maximum of $2 million.
Hurley was granted a total of $775,000 in bonuses during the previous season, out of a potential $1 million. These figures were obtained from documents that UConn provided to USA TODAY Sports in response to a request for public records. It’s worth noting that $175,000 of the bonuses were tied to the academic performance of the team. Following this, Hurley and the school revisited their contract and made adjustments, resulting in an increase in his salary and the maximum amount he can earn as a bonus each year.
According to USA TODAY’s annual men’s basketball coaches’ compensation survey, he is currently ranked seventh in terms of his basic annual pay for this season, which amounts to $5 million.
Hurley entered the NCAA Tournament with a cumulative bonus amount of $300,000.
In addition to winning the Big East Conference regular season championship, the team earned a prize of $100,000. The coach was also honored with the Big East coach of the year award, which came with a monetary reward of $50,000. Furthermore, the team’s triumph in the Big East tournament secured them a cash prize of $100,000, along with a coveted spot in the NCAA Tournament, which earned them an additional $50,000.
In UConn’s NCAA first-round win, he earned a hefty $50,000. As he progressed to the round of 16, his earnings increased to $100,000. With each subsequent victory leading up to Monday night’s game, he added a substantial $200,000 to his winnings.
Hurley’s victories have secured him a well-deserved $150,000 as the Huskies have landed themselves in the top 10 of the USA TODAY Coaches poll and/or the Associated Press media poll. The official rankings will be released on Tuesday.
Furthermore, on Sunday, Hurley was awarded the Naismith national men’s basketball coach of the year, which granted him an additional $100,000 bonus.
Hurley has already earned a total of $1.8 million, surpassing the $1.5 million salary Kyle Smith was expected to receive as the head coach of Washington State this season (Smith has since been hired by Stanford).
Hurley’s bonus for Monday night’s victory amounts to a staggering $500,000, which is a substantial $125,000 higher than the total compensation received by the respected Vermont coach, John Becker, for the entire season.
Hurley’s impressive total is likely the largest amount ever earned by a basketball coach at a public school in a single season. Since the 2016-17 season, USA TODAY Sports has been gathering data on coach bonuses as part of its annual pay survey. However, the schools included in the survey have changed from year to year.
The surveys have focused on teams participating in the NCAA Tournament during a particular season. In recent years, the surveys have expanded to include schools within the Power Five conferences, as well as schools outside these conferences that have made at least three appearances in the past five NCAA tournaments.
Virginia coach Tony Bennett holds the record for the highest bonus amount among basketball coaches, with $1.25 million earned during the 2018-19 season when the Cavaliers won the NCAA championship. Joining him in the million-dollar club are Tennessee’s Rick Barnes, who earned $1.1 million for the 2021-22 season, and North Carolina’s Roy Williams, who earned $1 million for the 2016-17 season when the Tar Heels won the NCAA title.
Dan Hurley, the head coach of the UConn men’s basketball team, is set to receive a minimum of $1.8 million in bonuses following their national championship victory.
