Bobby Hurley Remains Positive Despite Falling Short In Tournament

March Madness didn’t drive Bobby Hurley crazy despite a close second-round loss to West Virginia (68-62); it was a stepping stone in the development of his young University at Buffalo men’s basketball team. After winning the Mid-American Conference tournament and receiving their first bid to the NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament, Coach Bobby Hurley remained positive in the face of defeat.

“It’s a hard loss, because we didn’t come in here satisfied with being the champion of our league,” Hurley told the New York Post. “We felt we had a team that could win games in the tournament. It didn’t play out that way… We were a couple possessions here and there from that happening.”

“But, ultimately, I’m excited about the enthusiasm about our program and what we’re doing… It’s something to build on,” he said.

Bobby Hurley was an elite high school basketball player, playing for his father, Bob Hurley, Sr., at St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, New Jersey. His play at St. Anthony brought many college recruiters, and eventually landed him at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He eventually went on to play in the NBA, but his career was cut short due to a near-fatal car accident that hindered his performance.

After the tournament loss, Bobby Hurley spoke with CBS Sports about his take on coaching and the experience he gained playing for his father at St. Anthony, and as a standout point guard at Duke under the direction of Coach Mike Krzyzewski, laid the foundation for the knowledge he is now passing on to his players at the University at Buffalo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jxrlw4mvq7E

Bobby Hurley’s brother, Dan Hurley, with whom he began his coaching career and his father, Bob Hurley, Sr., were in attendance at the West Virginia game. ESPN reports that Coach Krzyzewski watched from home, where he was “Cheering for him like crazy” for Hurley. After the game, Bobby Hurley contacted Coach K to compare notes and reminisce.

“We had a long talk,” Krzyzewski said. “How we felt about winning, how great it was. It was like seeing your son get his first NCAA bid.”

But Hurley isn’t the first of Krzyzewski’s basketball offspring to experience success in the coaching ranks. In fact, 15 former players have gone on to coach, many of whom are still actively coaching. Tommy Amaker (Harvard), Mike Brey (Notre Dame), and Bobby Hurley all coached in the 2015 NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament. Coach Hurley is in his second year at Buffalo.

[Image via record-courier]