The final buzzer of a championship loss brought nothing but disappointment for Dan Hurley. But unlike usual, he didn’t have much to blame the officials for in UConn’s defeat. Instead, Hurley chose a different path which many didn’t expect.
After a hard-fought game, the Huskies fell short of winning their third national championship in four years, as Dusty May’s Michigan secured the title. The 69–63 scoreline highlighted just how close the contest was throughout the final. In his postgame press conference, Hurley surprisingly expressed sympathy for the referees.
“It’s hard to ref that game. We both played so hard,” said the UConn coach. He further added, “If I could have those three guys ref every game the rest of my career, I would sleep well at night.” That is quite a statement from Hurley, who is widely known for being critical of officials.
The three referees on the whistle were Jeff Anderson, Kipp Kissinger, and James Breeding. UConn committed 22 fouls compared to Michigan’s 13.
Notably, out of UConn's five losses this season, Breeding officiated in three of those games. The national championship defeat now marks their fourth and final loss of the season with the Big East referee on the whistle.
Nonetheless, in a sport where officials often become easy targets, Hurley’s remarks reflected pure class. Despite the disappointment of the loss, he remained composed and gave the referees their due credit.
