Dan Hurley's success at UConn is a triumph for George Blaney, too

George Blaney picked up the phone on the third ring Sunday afternoon, and he didn’t sound the least bit surprised about the caller’s inquiry.

What does he think about Dan Hurley coaching UConn basketball to the precipice of the national championship?

“It’s terrific,” Blaney said. “This is his place in life. He was born for it.”

Few people on earth are as qualified to speak on the subject. Blaney grew up on the same Jersey City playgrounds as Bob Hurley, preceding him by a few years at St. Peter’s Prep. He coached Dan (then known as Danny) for two years at Seton Hall, bringing him back from the abyss as he battled depression and nearly threw in the towel. And he served as Jim Calhoun’s right-hand assistant at UConn from 2000-2013, helping the Huskies capture two national titles.

“It’s the perfect job for him,” Blaney said. “He’s a lot like Jim Calhoun. They are both driven personalities. They both work as hard as they possibly can. They get as much as they can out of their players by demanding more. I think that would be the catch phrase for them – they demand more.”

But this phone call isn’t about that parallel, which has been drawn by countless observers. It’s about what Hurley’s success means to Blaney, on a personal level. A beacon of modesty, he heaped all the credit on Dan and his father. But after the question was posed a third time – because Blaney really did have a significant hand in this – the 83-year-old drew a deep breath and let the answer out.

“I’m trying to stay away from that, but I really can’t,” he said. “It’s personally very gratifying. It’s a wonderful feeling and I’m almost embarrassed by it. He’s doing what he wants to do. I’ve been lucky enough in my life in basketball to do what I’ve always wanted to do, and now he’s doing it. So that’s the part I’m proud of.”

'Saved my soul'

This is important to acknowledge for the historical record. Although Blaney is held in high regard in New England – he guided Holy Cross to 357 wins and three NCAA Tournaments over two decades, before helping UConn reach dynastic heights – he is viewed differently in New Jersey. His three-year tenure as the successor to P.J. Carlesimo, who had the Pirates competing for national titles, resulted in one NIT bid.

College basketball is a bottom-line endeavor, but wins and losses don’t tell the entire story. Blaney left Seton Hall a point guard named Shaheen Holloway. And he was a mentor – at a time when one was much needed – to a man who has a good chance to cut down the nets Monday night in Houston.

Here is what Hurley told writer Ken Davis about Blaney in 2011, when Hurley was beginning his second season at Wagner’s helm.

“He really kind of saved me in the sport. I probably would be as far away from basketball right now as I could get if it wasn’t for the two years that I spent playing for Coach at Seton Hall.

“He saved my soul in athletics, and in basketball in particular, with the way he coached me and the way he ran his program. It was just his caring about me as an individual, and my emotional and mental growth as a human being, that transcended wins or losses.

“He’s a great man. I know I wouldn’t be a coach right now if he didn’t come to Seton Hall.”

That is one heck of a testimony. When recounted to Blaney Sunday, he played it down.

“Danny didn’t need me, but he also took in everything I could give him and expanded on it,” he said. “He learned from his experiences.”

In a tough year, some satisfaction

Greg Herenda, who was an assistant coach on Blaney’s Seton Hall teams, is not surprised at his old boss’s reaction.

“George is a humble guy,” Herenda said. “He gave Danny a new life in basketball at a time when he wasn’t sure if he was going to play anymore. George went over and above to help Danny get back to where he could be.”

Where he could be, it turns out, is coaching on the first Monday in April.

“My personal feeling is of pride and very much great satisfaction on what he’s accomplished,” Blaney said. “I’ve been watching, for sure.”

This has been a tough year for Blaney, who lives in Massachusetts. His beloved wife Maryellen died in September (Dan Hurley attended the wake) and he said he hasn’t been feeling well. He has not spoken with Hurley during this run, but he plans to reach out soon.

“When things quiet down, I will,” he said.

That will be a welcome phone call, no doubt. We all know someone outside of family who made a pivotal difference in our path. George Blaney is that person for Dan Hurley, who has reached the pinnacle of his sport.

Not a bad legacy.

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: UConn coach Dan Hurley reaching Final Four makes mentor proud