Juan Santamaria’s Global Historical past II professor comes up frequently, greater than any 38-year-old’s highschool professor must. Santamaria lately attended a football tournament in Kansas Town and located himself in a folk of basketball enthusiasts. He spotted a person studying “The Miracle of St. Anthony,” a reserve about mythical highschool basketball teacher Bob Hurley Sr.
“You know, I know his son, Dan Hurley,” Santamaria stated.
“No way,” the person answered. “I love Dan.”
“I’m serious,” Santamaria stated. “He was my history teacher.”
His target market wasn’t purchasing it.
“Yes,” Santamaria stated. “That’s how he started.”
UConn teacher Dan Hurley has spoken frequently about his days at St. Benedict’s Preparatory College in Newark, N.J., and the way they formed the person he’s now: an elite faculty basketball teacher, winner of the utmost two males’s nationwide titles, who this summer season became indisposed a anticipation to teacher the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now not as a lot is understood about Hurley’s days as a professor, a job frequently required of highschool coaches. He referenced them all over a information convention in April on the Ultimate 4 in Arizona, discussing how he discovered to regulate a lecture room, first at St. Anthony, the place he taught fitness, bodily training, intercourse training and driving force’s training, upcoming at St. Benedict’s, the place he labored from 2001 to 2010.
How did this ultra-intense teacher, one with a red-faced popularity for difficult avid gamers and officers, adapt to the study room, educating the French Revolution and the faint of the Roman Empire?
Knowledgeable lately that The Athletic had spoken with a few bundle former St. Benedict’s scholars, in addition to management and college, about his educating days, Hurley laughed. “Oh, God,” he stated, as though not sure of what used to be to come back. A unselfish research primary at Seton Corridor with a minor in legal justice, Hurley stated educating Global Historical past II used to be one of the crucial worried he’s been in his moment. He additionally doesn’t assume he’s ever labored more difficult.
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St. Benedict’s within the early 2000s had a various enrollment of about 500. It used to be an all-boys faculty, grades seven via 12. The college calendar incorporated out-of-classroom classes designed to get scholars taken with people carrier or alternative actions similar to mountaineering or martial arts. The get dressed code used to be button-down shirts with ties, even though in nearest years this modified to hoodies.
Hurley, who had simply misplaced his task as an associate teacher at Rutgers, labored in admissions along with training and educating. He used to be 28 and married with a 2-year-old son. On maximum days, his paintings time table spread out like this:
8:30-11 a.m.: Educating historical past. Global Historical past II, which maximum scholars took as sophomores, lined Eu historical past, origination with the Heart Ages. Important as much as his first life, Hurley studied past the textbook as a result of he used to be satisfied “some wise-ass kids were going to test me.” The ones related to him, then again, idea it used to be a excellent have compatibility.
“I thought history was probably up his alley because it’s a lot of memorization,’’ said Hurley’s older brother, Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley. “You don’t have to do labs or anything. If he was doing that, I’d be scared he might blow the school up or something.”
11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Visiting colleges. Riding a school-issued automobile, Hurley would talk over with grade colleges in Newark, Irvington and East Orange and communicate to scholars about the advantages of St. Benedict’s. This showcased Hurley’s nation talents, overpassed during his profession in basketball.
“He’s one of those guys, if people catch him getting on a player or getting on an official, it’s, ‘Oh, that’s what he’s like,’” stated P.J. Carlesimo, who coached Hurley at Seton Corridor. “But if you talk to the players in particular, or guys he taught, they’d say, ‘No, no, no.’ They’d do anything for him.”
3-6 p.m.: Training basketball. Hurley would end his apply plan and run apply. Some nights the Grey Bees may have a recreation. Others, he’d keep past due and greet guests at a college truthful. If not anything else, Hurley would go back house and grade papers.
Father Edwin Leahy, the headmaster at St. Benedict’s, by no means doubted Hurley would put within the paintings, most commonly as a result of Hurley had watched his dad do it for years at St. Anthony, the place he had gained 26 circumstance championships.
“St. Anthony was just a tiny little box in the middle of Jersey City right before the Holland Tunnel and everybody did whatever they had to do to make the thing work,’’ Leahy said. “Danny grew up in that kind of an environment of watching these adults, whether they were the religious sisters or the lay people who would do whatever they had to do. So teaching history, I don’t think it was something that he was excited about at first, but he knew you did whatever you had to do.”
Former scholars describe Hurley most commonly in 3 ways: He had a presence. He had a humorousness. And he had swag.
“Growing up as a kid in the inner city, in Newark or anywhere around there, you knew all the neighbors,” stated Joe Carratura, Magnificence of 2004. “You could play outside all day long. Everybody sat on their stoop. Miss Susie down the street was your babysitter. It was just a community, and he felt like he belonged there.”
Marc Onion taught English. In a while nearest Hurley’s rent, Onion went and watched a summer season basketball exercise. He spotted the AC used to be close off and Hurley had his guys taking part in no longer complete court docket however complete gymnasium, with the bleachers pulled again. Disagree out of bounds. Disagree fouls. Simply clutch the ball and walk. A check of wills.
In the study room, Onion spotted a distinct circumstance however related regulate. Hurley walked across the room. He posted up within the nook. He by no means sat at the back of his table. “He’d sit along the front edge and sort of be the big commander over the kids in the room,” Onion stated. “He had the wherewithal to know that, ‘All right, I’m going to be attentive to every guy in this space just by being in really close proximity.’”
“I think the worst thing sometimes to say about the teacher and the class is there’s no discipline,” Hurley stated. “Like, ‘The kids show no respect for the teacher.’ So for me it felt like if I ever went behind the desk, my presence wouldn’t be just as strong. And I’d be opening up the door for some level of anarchy.”
Maximum of Hurley’s categories had 20 or so scholars. Some referred to as him “Coach.” Others referred to as him “Hurley.” He assigned them nicknames. If any person wore a Dennis Rodman jersey, he was “Rodman” for the residue of the college 12 months. If any person had slicked-back hair, he was “Slick.” Santamaria, a 2004 grad, used to be shortened to “Santa-man.”
Hurley introduced check rankings by way of soccer place and jersey quantity. Those that scored within the 80s had been large receivers. We were given a Jerry Rice. Those that failed, scoring within the 20s, as an example, would get a working again. Oh, we were given an Emmitt Smith over right here.
Sure positions you’d wish to keep away from, Hurley stated.
“You would go in there and you’d know there was going to be a joke here and there,” Santamaria stated. “I enjoyed his class because I knew there was going to be banter. There was going to be some humor, some zings being thrown around, which always made it fun.”
Hurley wore khakis and a basketball pullover. (“I’ve never been a clothes person,” he stated.) He walked with swagger. Scholars referred to as it the “Hurley Shuffle” and attempted to imitate it within the hallway. “People have always made fun of the way I walk,” Hurley stated. He had receding hair and a rising midsection. At lunch, Hurley would walk with college individuals to Area Brook Soil the place he would clutch a couple of scorching canine with sauerkraut, onions or chili. Plan B used to be pizza.
His educating taste used to be direct. One pupil described it as, “Don’t bust my balls, I won’t bust yours.” Every other joked that he felt like he needed to get his paintings executed as a result of he didn’t wish to must run sequence drills within the gymnasium. Just about all indubitably Hurley held them responsible.
“He cared about what he was doing and he cared about the kids that were with him,” stated Jim Duffy, who additionally taught historical past. “I mean, the nickname stuff sounds cutesy, but to a certain extent that becomes a way of classroom management. Which is a whole trick to teaching because if you can’t manage a classroom, they’re going to eat you alive, whether you’re the basketball coach or not.”
Hurley’s 2d consecutive nationwide identify put him in rarefied wind, however he nonetheless thinks of his highschool training days. (Jamie Squire/Getty Photographs)
St. Benedict’s allowed scholars to store jobs across the faculty. This system used to be designed to show accountability, day placing cash in scholars’ wallet. Marcos Novoa’s task used to be to wash the gymnasium, which incorporated Hurley’s place of business.
Novoa didn’t have Hurley at school. He wasn’t a lot of a basketball fan. However just about each past, he entered Hurley’s place of business, which used to be the scale of a cubicle, and wiped clean out his rubbish or straightened his table. He used to be a jokester. Hurley used to be a jokester. They were given alongside smartly.
“We were all kids, but it almost felt like he could be one of us,” stated Novoa, now a police officer in Pristine Jersey. “If I had an issue, and I didn’t want to bring it to anyone important so to speak, I would probably feel more comfortable going to him first. To me, he was somebody I could relate to a little bit more than others.”
Mike Malinowski credit Hurley for buying him began on his trail to educating. One past within the fall of 2003, he used to be consuming breakfast within the faculty cafeteria when Hurley and some other professor referred to as him over. They requested Malinowski about his faculty plans. Malinowski indexed 4 colleges he used to be taking into account. Hurley informed him he wanted to make a choice Rutgers.
“He put me on that trajectory,’’ said Malinowski, now in his 15th year as a teacher. “I attended that university because of him. I went there, I met my wife. I got involved with a bunch of other great teachers and professors. I mean, indirectly, did it eventually lead me to become a teacher? … I can’t lie and say I became a teacher because of him, but I would be remiss if I didn’t say I’m a better teacher because of my experience with him.”
As a basketball teacher, Hurley took St. Benedict’s to a countrywide degree. He went 223-21 over 9 years, agonizing over every loss as Hurleys do. If St. Benedict’s had a hard recreation arising, he would have a check or a Historical past Channel video in a position for the nearest past’s elegance, one thing that might give him age to reset must the Grey Bees lose. Calling out used to be no longer one thing academics did at St. Benedict’s. Hurley doesn’t recall taking one ill past in 9 years.
(Talking of shedding, when Hurley referred to as utmost spring to speak about the Lakers task, Leahy informed him he used to be out of his thoughts and wanted to consider his spouse, Andrea. “You’re going to lose more games with the Lakers than you’re going to lose at UConn, and you’re a mental case when you lose,” Leahy stated he informed Hurley. “You’re going to come home to Andrea and she’s going to hit you over the head with a pot. You can’t do that.”)
Many of the St. Benedict’s scholars who told to The Athletic have adopted Hurley’s profession. From Wagner to Rhode Island, upcoming to Connecticut, the place the 51-year-old is origination his 7th season, they nonetheless see the similar man. Maximum stated that if they’d move Hurley at the sidewalk, he won’t know their names, however he would acknowledge their faces.
“I’m pretty sure if you put us in a room with Hurley, he’s gonna be the same exact person he was 20 years ago,” stated Rui Ribeiro, a 2005 grad. “He’s going to crack jokes and make fun of this and talk about that. That’s just the type of person he is, which is good. You shouldn’t change just because you’re succeeding in life.”
Hurley, who used to be lately inducted into the St. Benedict’s Hall of Fame, stated educating used to be a quantity like training. Categories had been like practices. Assessments and quizzes had been like video games. He sought after to turn scholars he used to be ready. He sought after to assemble it amusing. He sought after to turn he cared. Taking a look again, he considers it essentially the most noteceable age of his skilled moment, which is why he as soon as talked with Leahy about returning one past to show historical past and teacher ball, a profession come complete circle.
With UConn about to chase a 3rd consecutive nationwide identify, Hurley is aware of this turns out far-fetched.
“I’ve always in my mind … who knows at the end whether you’ve had enough of the high end of sports and you just wanted to get back to pure coaching or an experience like that,” he stated, earlier than pausing. “In the end, maybe. Who knows.”
(Lead photograph: Michael Reaves / Getty Photographs)
