Stan Van Gundy isn’t just a former NBA coach, but also the son of a coach and the brother of a coach.
But when it comes to the possibility of one of his daughters marrying into the family business, the former Orlando Magic head coach is far from keen on the idea.
“I would just tell you, having coached for a long time and seeing what my wife had to go through, I have three daughters and I would absolutely panic if they were involved with a coach,” Van Gundy said during TBS’ broadcast of the Sweet Sixteen matchup between UConn and San Diego State on Thursday. “That it is a hard life.”
Stan Van Gundy doesn't want his daughters dating coaches.
"I will just tell you, having coached for a long time and seeing what my wife had to go through. I have three daughters. And I would absolutely panic if they were involved with a coach." pic.twitter.com/lzXF9iHHtJ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 29, 2024
Van Gundy’s comments came amid a discussion regarding UConn head coach Dan Hurley’s wife, Andrea, who has found herself in the spotlight as the Huskies attempt to repeat as national champions. As legend has it, Hurley is so superstitious about wearing his lucky dragon underwear — amid other superstitions — that Andrea travels with a portable washing machine to help clean the undergarments between games.
As fate would have it, UConn would emerge victorious against the Aztecs, moving the Huskies one step closer to a national title repeat. And in his postgame interview, Hurley made reference to his wife’s upcoming duties.
“My wife Andrea, who never gets enough TV time, by the way, it’s always others, she’s got to get the hand washer going to get these dragon underwear clean for a quick turnaround,” Hurley told Andy Katz.
Dan Hurley after UConn's Sweet 16 win:
My wife Andrea, who never gets enough TV time, by the way, it's always others, she's got to get the hand washer going to get these dragon underwear clean for a quick turnaround." pic.twitter.com/vtcadNvo0p
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 29, 2024
It’s unclear whether Stan Van Gundy had any similar superstitions over the course of his nearly 40 years in coaching, which last included a single season coaching the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2020-21 NBA season. But if he did, then it would certainly be understandable why he would feel so strongly about not wanting any of his daughters to wind up marrying a coach.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.