SARATOGA SPRINGS — Rick Pitino doesn’t believe Dan Hurley is going to leave Connecticut and take a massive potential megabucks offer from the Lakers.
“What I’m hearing — and I have no [inside information] — is that his father [Bob Hurley Sr.] and his wife [Andrea] are very strong in his life and they don’t want to go,” Pitino told The Post from his box in the grandstand at Saratoga Race Course, which is holding a four-day meet which will be highlighted by Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.
“I think he’s going to try it, no different than [John] Calipari tried it or I tried it,” said Pitino, who will be going into his second season as head coach at St. John’s. “I don’t think he’s going to take the job, but I think he’s going to try the pros some day.”
The money is far different — Hurley makes $5.2 million per year at UConn and could be offered as much as $15 million per year by the Lakers.
But the situation is reminiscent of when Pitino signed a 10-year, $70 million contract with the Celtics in 1997 after leading Kentucky to the national championship in 1996 and the finals the next year.
Pitino lasted just 3 ¹/₂ seasons in Boston, going 102-146, and said recently on the “Pardon My Take” podcast that the biggest regret he has in his career was leaving Kentucky at that time.
As for whether he has any advice for Hurley, the 71-year-old Pitino said, “I wouldn’t recommend for or against it because everybody’s different, the roles are different. He’s going to probably be offered $150 million.
“But one thing I can tell you is, when you make that type of money it really doesn’t matter. He has more than enough money in Connecticut. Money is not a factor. He’s going to live great either way so money should not even come into the equation.”
Pitino is in Saratoga to support his friend and major St. John’s benefactor Mike Repole, who owns two horses running in the 156th Belmont Stakes — Mindframe and Protective.
