Ranking Dan Hurley’s weirdest superstitions, from UConn coach’s lucky suit to fire-breathing dragon underwear originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
“I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.”
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This quote from Steve Carell’s Michael Scott in “The Office” is not only humorous but also sums up how many view superstition. People may not buy into all of them, but the sports world may have a few, whether it is baseball players not stepping on the foul line, or players refusing to shave as long as they are winning in the playoffs.
For UConn men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley, he is no stranger to superstitions and has a plethora of them to keep track of. Even ahead of the Final Four win over No. 3 Illinois, his wife had to leave the game and return with holy beads that Hurley needed to fulfill his superstition.
Sadly, with the success he has had in a short tenure with the Huskies, it is hard to doubt that there is at least some merit to the little actions and traditions he has created for himself. Hurley himself called his superstitions his “armor.”
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We rank Hurley’s weirdest superstitions.
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Ranking Dan Hurley’s weirdest superstitions
1. Weirdo Room
Off the name alone, this has to be the weirdest superstition that Hurley has. The UConn coach has a room he calls the Weirdo Room, which is his little safe haven, but it doesn’t have a central theme. The room is at his house, where Hurley meditates, but he will also have meetings with assistant coaches and top players.
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The room is where Hurley keeps his bible, and there is a statue of Archangel Michael as soon as you walk in. It is also where he has Marvel and DC superheroes. There are motivational athletic posters on the wall.
His wife even said, “You can’t put a finger on which age person sits in this room. It could be a priest, it could be anyone.”
While having a “man cave” or personal space isn’t necessarily superstitious, Hurley is meticulous about what goes into the room, including a referee figure in the corner he can berate after a night of tough calls.
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2. M&Ms
Superstitions can range far and wide, but absolutely the weirdest one of Hurley’s is his pre-game snack. Plenty of people, coaches and athletes alike indulge in a pre-game snack, and it may even be candy.
Hurley takes that to the extreme, eating not only M&Ms but also a specific number and avoiding certain colors. The UConn head coach eats exactly eight M&Ms before games, and will only eat seven if he happens to drop one on the floor. He said, “Eight. Right before the game. Just before the game. A half-hour before the game. Seven if I drop one on the floor.”
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Hurley also takes the opposing team’s M&M color out of the pack, ensuring he doesn’t accidentally eat one that could help his opponent. His son Andrew confirmed this nuance, saying, “That’s going back years, the M&M’s. He takes the other team’s color out of the pack.”
MORE: How Dan Hurley’s legacy continues to grow with UConn success
3. Finding a bobby pin
This is a smaller one that Hurley hasn’t expanded upon much. Essentially, he believes that if he finds a bobby pin in the wild, while on a walk or just throughout his day, when there normally wouldn’t be one, it is not only good luck but also a sign that a win is coming.
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4. Burning sage
This is a common practice among those who want to keep evil spirits away. Hurley will walk the court and burn sage before the season, and then he will burn sage again after losses.
MORE: Inside UConn’s perfect national championship game record
5. Same suit
Hurley has worn a two-piece navy suit for every game this postseason, and the Huskies keep winning. To be more specific, the head coach has worn the exact same two-piece suit. The wear-and-tear on this suit has increased, and Hurley even admitted to being a little worried it might not make it through the championship game intact.
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Hurley said, “Suit’s in bad shape, I’m not gonna lie to you guys. The pants are fine, it’s the jacket that is really—the lining is the problem. There’s like three holes when I stick my arm in the right [sleeve]. There’s like three different places, and if you can see it, it’s like the lining is coming through and going past the dress shirt. That’s been my biggest problem is that the lining and the jacket is a complete mess.”
6. Lucky underwear
This one isn’t super weird because a lot of athletes and coaches opt to wear the same outfit while they are playing well. The weirdness here is that Hurley and his wife take a portable washing machine on the road, using it in their hotel rooms to make sure Hurley’s clothes get washed. To add to the lore, his preferred pair of underwear has dragons on them, while others will have various animals like sharks or lions depending on what pair is bringing wins.
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While many athletes would argue that washing a garment takes the luck off, Hurley at least wants to be sanitary while maintaining his luck.
7. Holy bead bracelet
Hurley’s wife, Andrea, was called into action ahead of UConn’s Final Four game against Illinois. She told a story about how Hurley has a pair of holy beads from Jerusalem and that they needed to be fixed. Andrea was in charge of bringing the beads to Hurley and had forgotten them.
She said, “I had to leave the arena last night, run in the rain, get the beads… And then I got a police escort back with the holy beads. So, I saved it. The win is all mine.”
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MORE: Why Dan Hurley wears holy beads during games
8. Uniform combinations
This is probably the tamest of Hurley’s superstitions. If it were up to him, his team would wear the exact same uniform combo every game and only change things up if they lost. He said in an interview that Nike has sent UConn several jerseys that he said his players will never wear. Partially because of his superstition, but also in part because “then if you get your a– kicked, you look like a bozo.”
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9. Miscellaneous Superstitions
Hurley sat down for an interview with Graham Bensinger. In the interview, he is asked about his superstitions, but Bensinger also sits down with Hurley’s wife to talk about them, and even interviews some players and assistant coaches about their favorite Hurley superstitions.
Other miscellaneous superstitions for Hurley include eating seven cherries on game day, hitting four half-court shots before practice and previously not eating the day before, after or on game day during the season.
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