The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t get their man.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday that UConn head coach Dan Hurley turned down the Lakers’ six-year, $70 million offer to become their new head coach, a deal that would have made him one of the six highest-paid head coaches in the NBA.

Hurley will instead return to the Huskies to pursue a third straight national title. Per Woj, the head coach “already had a UConn offer to become one of highest paid NCAA coaches and those talks will continue.”

So the Lakers search will continue, but not before social media has its fun:

 

 

Since winning the bubble title, the Lakers have fired two head coaches, undergone multiple roster constructions—including the ill-advised, massive failure that was the Russell Westbrook experiment—and arguably squandered the final years of LeBron James’ career.

Yes, last season included a trip to the Western Conference Finals, but only after the team survived the Play-In Tournament. The Denver Nuggets promptly swept the Lakers and then knocked them out of the playoffs in five games during this year’s first round.

Because the Lakers have the duo of James and Anthony Davis, they should always be in the mix, at least for a playoff berth. But what becomes of this franchise once James retires?

This franchise went six straight seasons without a playoff appearance before the 2019-20 title. The Lakers have never quite gotten it right since. Failing to land Hurley after a very public pursuit feels like another major misstep for the organization at a time when their hated rivals, the Boston Celtics, are two wins away from another title.