Close Encounters: Hurley Won Barely 40% of Games Decided by < 5 Points
April 3rd, 2026 - 17:51
Close could determine who gets to smoke the victory cigar. Ask Arizona fans if close doesn't count after the Wildcats lost five regional finals from 2003 through 2015 by a total of 14 points. Dan Hurley, after posting 10 victories in games decided by fewer than six points as rookie head coach in 2010-11 with Wagner, has won two-thirds of his "close contests" the past two seasons for Connecticut but has won barely 40% of his career outings decided by fewer than five points. Following is how Hurley and the other three 2026 Final Four mentors have fared at the major-college level in games decided by fewer than six points:
| Final Four Coach | Current School | DI Seasons | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Total | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Hurley | Connecticut | 2011-26 | 7-12 | 11-12 | 16-23 | 16-25 | 22-10 | 72-82 | .468 |
| Tommy Lloyd | Arizona | 2022-26 | 0-3 | 3-0 | 3-6 | 6-4 | 6-2 | 18-15 | .545 |
| Dusty May | Michigan | 2019-26 | 6-4 | 10-12 | 16-10 | 13-9 | 5-4 | 50-39 | .562 |
| Brad Underwood | Illinois | 2014-26 | 4-11 | 9-10 | 13-12 | 12-5 | 14-6 | 52-44 | .542 |