UConn Men notebook: Murray steps into spotlight

Apr. 3—HOUSTON — Luke Murray was used to having the spotlight shone on his family growing up.

Back then though it was on his father, actor and comedian Bill Murray.

Now the spotlight is on the younger Murray, an assistant coach on the UConn men's basketball team, as the Huskies have reached the biggest stage of college basketball: the national championship game.

UConn (30-8) battles San Diego State (32-6) for the title tonight at NRG Stadium (9:20 p.m., CBS).

"Honestly, I don't know if I ever thought I'd be here," Murray said. "A couple of years ago when I was coaching at Xavier, we lost in the Elite Eight to Gonzaga. So, it was really great to get over that hurdle against the same team this year in the Elite Eight. But this is amazing. This is what you coach for. But then once you get here, your focus is all about winning the whole thing. I don't know that anybody would be just satisfied with just coming to Houston."

Having a famous father caused Murray's childhood to be an "interesting" one.

"Obviously, it was a little bit different than what most kids experience," he said. "But at this point, 37 years he's been my dad, I've gotten used to all the trappings."

But over the past 16 years, Murray has stepped out of the shadow of his famous father and has slowly made a name for himself in the coaching ranks.

Murray graduated from Fairfield in 2007. His coaching career began in 2007-08 when he served as director of basketball operations at Quinnipiac under current UConn assistant Tom Moore.

He made stops at Post University and Arizona before joining current UConn coach Dan Hurley's staff at Wagner for the 2010-11 season, his first full-time assistant coaching role.

Murray then moved to Towson, Rhode Island, Xavier and Louisville before joining the Huskies staff ahead of the 2021-22 season.

"I'm very proud of this boy," Bill Murray told Fox Sports' John Fanta following UConn's West Regional final win over Gonzaga. "He's a wonderful kid and he's worked very hard."

His dad has been there to lend his support every step of the way, including during UConn's run this postseason.

"It's cool. He's always been supportive of my coaching career," Luke Murray said. "It's been like that for 16 years. ... He's been at games and Midnight Madness. It's always cool to have his support.

"It's especially cool now that I have my own kids and they can be a part of it too. I think we all get a lot of joy out of it."

Final Four veteran

Attending Final Fours is nothing new for Bob Hurley Sr.

But instead of watching his son Bobby playing, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer has gotten to watch his other son Dan coach the Huskies this time around.

"I don't know how many people have been fortunate to come watch your son play in it, and then be able to have many years go by and then have your son coaching in it, just unbelievable," Hurley Sr. said. "I've been blessed and I totally appreciate at age 75 having this opportunity to experience this."

Hurley Sr. watched his older son Bobby play in three Final Fours — 1990, 1991 and 1992 — at Duke, including seeing the Blue Devils win the national championship the latter two years.

While Hurley Sr. had been to Final Fours in the interim, there hadn't been any family ties until younger son Dan led the Huskies to the national title game season.

"I can remember the results and the championships," Hurley Sr. said. "But I don't remember the adular and the feelings about it. But I know this one is different because I'm going to the practices, watching them prepare. It's entirely different feelings watching someone coach versus someone playing in it."

Having his dad around has made the experience that much rewarding for Dan.

"He didn't experience this as a coach even though he's one of the greatest coaches of all time," he said. "So, to bring him along, to have him close to me and to have him at open practice, and to see him get emotional. He's not a guy that gets emotional a lot. So to see him get emotional being so close to this, I think it's a dream come true for him. He experienced it with Bob as a player, now he's experienced it with me as a coach."

When reflecting how much the Final Four, and the NCAA tournament in general, has grown over the last 30 years, Hurley Sr. recalled the first one Bobby played in in 1990.

"(It) was in Denver at (McNichols Sports Arena), and then the next year was Indianapolis and it was in the (Hoosier Dome). It's never gone back (to an arena), nor will it go back," Hurley Sr. said. "So now, the considerations are they're going to go shoot in a building now that's not meant for them to shoot in.

"They have to adjust to this because part of the way you play all year is a little different now because you don't play in a dome during the season. So shooting, depth perception, the enormity of this place you're playing in, the noise difference. It's very different."

This edition of the Final Four has another big difference for Hurley Sr. too. Not only is his son coaching, one of his grandsons, Andrew, is a junior guard with the Huskies.

"It means everything," Andrew Hurley said of having his grandpa experience UConn's run. "The Hurleys and basketball, that's just something that's been very prevalent in my life. Everywhere I go, it's just been basketball, basketball, basketball. To see that now and be a part of it, it's a really special experience."

And another of Hurley Sr.'s grandsons, Gabe, has been able to experience the festivities with him too this year.

"He's had a chance in the last couple of weeks to do some things that will be memories for the rest of his life," Hurley Sr. said of Gabe.

That may be the cherry on top.

Worth quoting

"I'm 50. When (Bobby) played, he was like 20. So, it took me a little longer to get here. But I don't have a ton of anxiety. I don't have a lot of nerves. Things this time of year are pretty automatic. You know how you're going to call the game, you know the stuff you like to do on offense. You know your wrinkles defensively. I'm really relaxed right now. — UConn coach Dan Hurley.

For coverage of UConn football and men's basketball as well as area high school and local youth sports, follow Adam Betz on Twitter: @AdBetz1, Facebook: Adam Betz — Sports Writer, and Instagram: @AdBetzJI.