Dan Hurley and UConn are headed back to the National Championship Game for the third time in four years. To get there they held off Illinois, 71–62, in the Final Four and to celebrate the Huskies coach headbutted one of his players. This time the person Hurley got up close and personal with was Braylon Mullins, the Elite Eight hero who scored 15 in the win over the Fighting Illini.
After Mullins finished his interview with Tracy Wolfson, he gave his coach a hug before heading to the locker room. Before he could leave Hurley pulled him in for what is now apparently a patented celebratory headbutt.
Hurley was then asked about Mullins as he walked away. He started to answer before trailing off because the crowd inside Lucas Oil Stadium was booing and Hurley didn't understand why.
"Are they booing? The headbutt?"
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 5, 2026
Dan Hurley having fun after advancing to the National Championship 🤣
Watch #MFinalFour on TBS pic.twitter.com/BYDuJiFXaY
"I don't know why ... are they booing the headbutt?” asked Hurley. "I don't know what they're booing."
Presumably at least three-quarters of the crowd is there rooting for someone other than UConn, who as mentioned above, have a chance to win the championship for the third time in four seasons. The sustained success can be annoying to those on the outside. Combine that with Hurley's polarizing courtside antics and that's a recipe for jeering.
As for those antics, Hurley is clearly leaning into the headbutt thing. Even though he wasn’t penalized for pressing his forehead against a referee's at the end of the Huskies win over Duke, he's going to own the move going forward as if it s completely normal behavior.
More March Madness from Sports Illustrated
- Yaxel Lendeborg Vows to Be Ready for Michigan’s Men’s Hoops Title Game
- Michigan Looks Unstoppable Barreling Into Men’s Hoops Title Game Against UConn
- Five Wild Stats Show Just How Badly Michigan Basketball Dominated Arizona in Final Four Matchup
- UConn Embraces Underdog Role as March Madness Machine Rolls Into Title Game
- Five-Star Recruit Used Fab Five Interview During Final Four to Make Ultimate Michigan Commitment
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dan Hurley Thought Fans Might Be Booing Him For Headbutting Braylon Mullins.
