UConn coach Dan Hurley acknowledged there are things that 鈥淚 wish I didn鈥檛 do鈥� as he expressed regret over making profane comments about the officiating after the Huskies鈥� to Florida.
Hurley was caught on camera making those remarks as he walked off the floor and toward the locker room after UConn鈥檚 bid for a ended with a 77-75 defeat in the tournament鈥檚 round of 32 on Sunday.
鈥淭hose are three great officials on that game, so, although I said something in the heat of the moment, in an area of the arena that in pretty much every game I鈥檝e ever coached in college has been media-free,鈥� Hurley told the and other media outlets Wednesday. 鈥淧ast the tunnel, by the locker rooms, in the hallway where the coaches go, that鈥檚 for the combatants, that鈥檚 for the competitors. That鈥檚 not for camera phones. Just relative to that, those were three great refs and Florida earned it.
鈥淚f I don鈥檛 go off the rails at the end there, after that three-year run ended in excruciating fashion. 鈥� If I don鈥檛 have that emotional outburst there, probably all people are talking about is the run we鈥檝e had, the amazing players.鈥�
Queen City News鈥� posted the video. reported that UConn sports information director Bobby Mullen asked Ellis to remove the video and then made a threatening comment to him. on social media that Mullen apologized to him.
鈥淏obby regrets, just like I regret the moments I鈥檝e had. Obviously it鈥檚 all my fault that Bobby got pulled into it,鈥� Hurley told reporters. 鈥淚 set the whole thing in motion and I feel horrible. Obviously he could鈥檝e handled dealing with the media person with the phone that took the video (differently), he could鈥檝e obviously let it go. He should鈥檝e been better trained for a situation like this, we鈥檝e been in them all year.
鈥淏ut Bobby鈥檚 a soldier. We all fight like that for each other in our program, and sometimes we go a little too far. But Bobby鈥檚 a great guy.鈥�
That capped a season in which Hurley had a number of other incidents, from having heated complaints with officials at the Maui Classic to taunting a fan after a victory at Creighton.
鈥淭his is what UConn knew they were getting, this is how I鈥檝e coached obviously my entire career 鈥� and I鈥檓 not bragging about that, I鈥檓 just surprised that people just discovered it if they鈥檙e college basketball experts,鈥� he told reporters. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those things where, they鈥檙e mistakes, there are things I wish I didn鈥檛 do, it鈥檚 part of what you get with me. I hope to not do it again. I鈥檓 going to attempt to take measures both internally, mentally, and externally. 鈥� I wouldn鈥檛 change one aspect of how I coach a game or how hard we fight. (But) I鈥檇 like to get on and off the court without incident.鈥�
