While the Los Angeles Lakers and the rest of the basketball world wait for UConn basketball coach Dan Hurley’s decision, another two-time National Championship-winning head coach has emerged as a potential “stealth candidate” for the Lakers’ head coaching job, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
“I had been warned early on by one well-placed insider, for what it’s worth, to stay ready in case former Villanova coach Jay Wright emerged as a stealth candidate,” Stein wrote on Sunday.
Now, the phrasing here is admittedly a little hazy. As of now, there have been no negotiations between Lakers management and Jay Wright (that we are aware of), thus it appears to be a two-horse race between Dan Hurley and fifteen-year NBA veteran JJ Redick, with Hurley the clear favorite to get the job. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Hurley was 50-50 as of Sunday night. However, if Hurley declines the Lakers’ alleged $100 million offer, Wright might enter the picture.
Because we’re talking about the Los Angeles Lakers, almost every big name coach on the market will undoubtedly be mentioned as a prospective possibility, and some will give it some serious thought. Remember, when Phil Jackson and the Lakers parted ways twenty years ago, the Lakers pursued Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Their search proved unsuccessful, but it was the only time Coach K considered leaving the Blue Devils. Dan Hurley currently finds himself in a similar situation coming off of two straight National Titles, but if he were to turn down the Lakers and return to UConn, it’s plausible to imagine that somebody like Jay Wright could
