In the spring of 2010, Dan Hurley was still the head coach at St. Benedict's Prep in New Jersey, one of the Garden State's three nationally regarded high school programs. Two years later, the former Seton Hall legend is now en route to his second job in the college ranks.
Following a season in which he guided Wagner to a school record 25 wins, Hurley officially accepted a six-year deal this morning to replace Jim Baron at the University of Rhode Island. The 39-year-old rising star will be introduced as the Rams' new head coach in a press conference tomorrow afternoon in Kingston, where he takes over a Rhode Island team that comes off a 7-24 campaign and loses only two graduating seniors.
Hurley went 38-23 in two years at Wagner, nearly doubling the Seahawks' win total this past season from their 13-17 mark in the 2010-11 campaign. His older brother Bobby, who was the point guard on Duke's back-to-back national championship teams in the 1990s before joining Wagner as Dan's top assistant coach, will be going to the Ocean State as well in the same capacity.
Wagner is expected to once again be one of the contenders to win the Northeast Conference next year along with LIU Brooklyn and Robert Morris, as they return four starters despite losing all-NEC guard Tyler Murray and sixth man Chris Martin to graduation. Hurley also lined up a stellar recruiting class highlighted by former Michigan State commit Dwaun Anderson and Pennsylvania prep standout Eric Fanning before informing his team earlier today of his intentions to move on.
Hurley's replacement is unknown at this time, but Cincinnati assistant coach Darren Savino; a former Rutgers assistant whose strong connections to local AAU coaches will help Wagner remain relevant in metropolitan area recruiting, is a logical candidate for the job. More information will be provided on this developing story as it becomes available.
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