Although Bobby Hurley is one of the greatest Blue Devils of all time, not everyone in the Hurley family loves Duke, and Dan Hurley has not been shy about that in recent years. There is a mutual respect between both parties, but that certainly doesn't stop Hurley from getting his jabs in when he can.
It seemed to start with the recruiting battle for Cooper Flagg, with Duke and UConn as the serious contenders to land the generational prospect. Thankfully, Jon Scheyer beat Hurley and the Huskies out for Flagg, choosing to spend his only year of college in Durham. After the commitment, Hurley made some comments that seemed to be directed at Duke.
At the time, he was coming fresh off his first national championship win. It felt a bit early to be taking shots like that, but after winning again in 2024, it's hard to say he wasn't justified. After that, both UConn and Duke fans were anxious to face off again. Unfortunately, the first matchup between the two since 2014 ended in nightmare fashion for the Blue Devils in the Elite Eight.
Even after causing Duke fans an insurmountable amount of pain back in April, it looks like Hurley isn't done leaving us alone just yet. In a recent interview at an NBA Summer League game, Hurley seemingly sent more shade in Durham's direction.
Dan Hurley: "We've had the second most amount of players drafted in the last 4,5 years, but we also have National Championships to show for it and Finals appearances to show for it. We don't hang our hats on just getting our guys to the NBA or just getting to championship games.… pic.twitter.com/5QfSxnk3cu
— Storrs Central (@StorrsCentral) July 11, 2026
Hurley couldn't resist giving Duke one more reason to circle the November matchup
While he never mentions Duke by name, it's not hard to figure out who it's aimed at. Of course, it's just who Hurley is. He loves to poke the bear and isn't hesitant to back it up either, as we Duke fans painfully experienced. However, with the Blue Devils scheduled to face off against the Huskies again in November, he may have just added more fuel to the fire.
Regardless of whether Hurley meant to direct his comments at Duke, Blue Devils fans won't be forgiving if Duke can pull off the win in Las Vegas. Obviously, winning a regular-season matchup won't make up for last year's heartbreak, but it would be satisfying nonetheless. For now, Hurley has the upper hand in those conversations, at least in recent years.
After all, he's taken UConn to three national championships in the past four years, while winning two. It's hard to argue that he isn't the greatest coach in the sport at the moment, so his confidence is justified. But Scheyer isn't far behind, and if he eventually brings a sixth national championship to Durham, Duke fans will have the receipts ready.
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