Rhode Island Basketball: Rams making every effort to keep Dan Hurley

Rhode Island Basketball rewarded Dan Hurley with a new extension through the 2020-21 season.

Rhode Island still hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 1999, but they are doing everything in their power to keep head coach Dan Hurley in Kingston.

Hurley and URI agreed to a new extension (through the 2020-21 season) on Thursday afternoon that gives the head coach a pay raise and a bonus to allocate to his assistants.

The last two offseason’s, the New Jersey native has found himself in the mix for two different college openings: One at St. John’s (before Chris Mullin took over) and the other at Rutgers (before Steve Pikiell was hired).

Hurley was a “strong” candidate for the Scarlet Knights position as he is grew up in Jersey City, was an assistant at the school from 1997-01 and was the head coach at St. Benedict’s Prep shortly following his stint at Rutgers. His familiarity with the area and the fact that his father, Bob Sr., is a legendary coach at St. Anthony’s High School gave him the upper hand over the other candidates.

But Hurley didn’t want to leave Rhode Island. The Rams were expected to make the Big Dance for the first time this century last season but were dealt an unfortunate hand.

Star guard E.C. Matthews was lost for the season after suffering a torn ACL in the first game of the season against American and three other top talents (Hassan Martin, Jarvis Garrett and Kuran Iverson) battled injuries throughout the year.

Somehow Hurley instilled confidence in a unit that was dealt a devastating blow since day one.

The Rams finished over .500 (17-5), were 9-9 in conference play and beat Dayton (an NCAA Tournament team) on the road. URI nearly upset Providence at The Ryan Center – they lost on a Ben Bentil buzzer beater – and beat another NCAA Tournament team in Iona during the non-conference slate.

And that’s why the Rams don’t want to lose Hurley.

He is a great motivator, a fantastic face for the program and a guy who is capable of connecting with his players. The main reason Hurley didn’t leave Kingston was his relationship with Matthews and Martin. He wants his players to succeed and he puts them in the best position to do so (as long as they remain healthy).

Rhode Island finished 8-21 in Hurley’s first year on the job but they consistently improved. They went from eight wins, to 14, to 23 (and a berth in the NIT), and finally to 17 without some of their top performers last year.

He also re-built Wagner in the NEC with his brother Bobby, who now is the head coach at Arizona State. The Seahawks were 13-17 in year one before taking a monster step forward, earning 25 wins and a second place finish in the NEC in 2011-12.

Hurley is the ultimate program builder, so regardless of his extension, schools across the country will continue to try to snag him away from A-10.

This extension does not preclude other schools from making a push to land Hurley; it’s simply another incentive for him to stay.

What happens if Rhode Island makes the Big Dance in 2016-17? What happens after Martin graduates? And what happens if Matthews has a monster season and declares for the NBA Draft?

Will Hurley use his success to land an more coveted job than URI, St. John’s or Rutgers?

Next: 11 transfers that are off to greener pastures

That’s the million dollar question and that’s why Rhode Island is doing everything they possibly can to keep their head coach happy.

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