EAST LANSING, MICH. — The Los Angeles Lakers offered Dan Hurley a six-year, $70 million contract in 2024. The University of Connecticut head coach asked Michigan State coach Tom Izzo for advice about the opportunity.

"I told him to seriously look at it because I could see where college basketball was going," Izzo said. "But I said, I would hate to lose him because I think he's all that is right about college basketball."

Hurley, 53, is in his eighth season leading Connecticut's basketball program. He has won consecutive national championships in 2023 and 2024, compiling a 17-5 record in NCAA tournament play. His 77.3% winning percentage in the tournament ranks first among active coaches and fourth all-time among coaches with at least 15 tournament games.

Izzo, 71, has extensive experience with NBA opportunities himself, having turned down multiple offers to coach in the professional league, including positions with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks. The Basketball Hall of Fame coach has spent his entire head coaching career at Michigan State, where he won an NCAA title in 2000.

That 2000 championship was the last NCAA title won by a Big Ten team. Izzo's career accomplishments include eight Final Four appearances and a record 28 consecutive bids to the NCAA tournament.