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While the UConn Huskies have their sights set on a return to the national championship on the line, it’s hard not to keep thinking about the insane ending against Duke, where a halftime field goal sealed the victory in March Madness-esque fashion.
But head coach Dan Hurley credited his wife, Andrea, whom he called the “boss of Jersey,” for making sure the Huskies didn’t do anything they’d regret after that three-point basket gave them a 73-72 lead, securing them a spot in the Final Four.
Hurley, making an appearance on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take,” agreed with Dan “Big Cat” Katz when he mentioned how Andrea was “amazing” in making sure all the players and staff returned to the bench after the shot was hit.
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Head coach Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies reacts in the first half of a quarterfinal game against the Villanova Wildcats during the Big East men’s basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 13, 2025 in New York, New York. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
With 0.3 seconds remaining on the clock, the Huskies may have committed a technical foul, which would result in free throws for Duke.
“Yeah, she’s a boss. She’s the boss of Jersey. And her language is colorful, too. I mean, she was grabbing people at the end of their warmups. And she doesn’t know anything about basketball, you know?” Hurley said.
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Hurley revealed the conversation he had with his wife after the Final Four spot was assured.
“I told him on the plane, ‘This is crazy. Three out of four years, you go to the Final Four. Have you ever imagined this in your life,'” Hurley said.
“And she says, ‘I didn’t even know the Final Four existed four years ago.’
Four years ago, Hurley made his first trip to the Final Four, and the result was exactly what he hoped for: a national championship.
Andrea Hurley, wife of UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley, watches the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame exhibition game between the UConn Huskies and the Boston College Eagles at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on October 13, 2025. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire)
The Huskies were able to defend this title in 2024, maintaining their first place overall throughout the year. But after losing in the second round to Florida in last year’s NCAA tournament, the Huskies came looking for redemption.
They’ve reached No. 2 in the AP rankings, and they’re the No. 2 seed to face No. 3 Illinois with a chance to return to the national championship next Monday.
But that wouldn’t have been the case if his players hadn’t intercepted a pass from Duke star Cam Boozer, the son of Duke and NBA great Carlos Boozer, and Braylon Mullins who scored a three-pointer almost at the buzzer in a bizarre end to their Elite Eight game.
UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley watches from the sideline as his team takes on the Columbia Lions at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut on November 10, 2025. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)
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In that time, UConn came back from a 19-point deficit to shock the Blue Devils and earn a trip to Lucas Oil Stadium, where they will face Illinois, the top-ranked offense in the country this year, for a spot in the finals.
The teams will kick off in Indianapolis at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday.
