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Dan Hurley holy beads, explained: Why UConn coach wears special bracelet before Huskies games originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There is no doubt UConn is talented, but the Huskies' inability to lose in the NCAA Tournament has some fans perplexed. From the miraculous Elite Eight comeback against Duke to numerous missed shots by Illinois in the Final Four, it's as if Dan Hurley has cast a spell over his opponents.
Hurley has long been known to be a superstitious coach. He wore the same pair of underwear throughout UConn's 2023 title run, and he wears the same suit for each NCAA Tournament game. The Huskies are 18-1 in the tournament since the start of their 2023 run.
As it turns out, Hurley also has one more good luck charm on his side.
Here's what you need to know about Hurley's holy beads bracelet, as told by his wife.
MORE:Breaking down Dan Hurley's ridiculous NCAA Tournament record
Why does Dan Hurley wear holy beads?
Hurley is an extremely superstitious coach, and his holy beads are just one of the many traditions he believes he needs to follow to have the most success.
"He got this bracelet years and years ago in church. They're holy beads from Jerusalem, so they said," Hurley's wife, Andrea, told CBS Sports.
The bracelet breaks often and needs to be repaired by Andrea, but when she forgot to repair them before UConn's Final Four game against Illinois, she had to spring into action.
"I had to leave the arena last night, run in the rain, grab the beads ... and then I got a police escort back," Andrea said.
Hurley told reporters after the win that he expects to have his holy beads in full before the national championship game, though he is more concerned about his lucky suit after inside of his jacket tore.
"I actually didn't have my beads for the beginning of the game, and so my wife did like a half‑ass job," Hurley said. "The beads should be all the way there, but the [jacket] lining is completely ripped. It's coming out during the game. I got all types of problems right now."
MORE:Full history of UConn's men's basketball championships
What are holy beads?
Holy beads can refer to Rosary beads, but Rosary beads are either worn around the neck or, more commonly, just held between the hands in the Catholic faith. Hurley is Catholic and attended Catholic schools while growing up.
In this case, Hurley's holy beads appear to be a bracelet rather than actual Rosary beads. In fact, Hurley's wife confirmed they are more of a good luck charm than a religious symbol at this point when she said most of the beads are now from Hobby Lobby rather than Jerusalem because so many have been lost.
In all likelihood, Hurley's beads look similar to Rosary beads, but the bracelet itself is likely much smaller if it can fit around the wrist.
MORE:How UConn leaned on Dan Hurley's positivity to complete comeback vs. Duke
Where can you buy holy beads?
Hurley's wife already provided one example of somewhere beads can be found, as she said she finds replacement beads at Hobby Lobby. Where you can find a similar bracelet depends on what you are looking for, however.
A Catholic rosary can easily be found online, ranging from cheaper necklaces to more ornate beads, but a simpler bracelet may be more difficult to find. Hurley's holy beads appear to be one-of-a-kind, as they supposedly come from Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ is said to have spent his younger days.
MORE:Inside the Hurley family tree
Dan Hurley superstitions
Hurley is an enormously superstitious coach, even beyond his holy beads.
Hurley wore the same underwear throughout UConn's championship run in 2023, and he continues to wear the same suit for every NCAA Tournament game. Hurley's wife says her husband's suit is quite literally coming apart at this point, but as the wins pile up, he isn't yet ready to move on and wear something new.
After the win over Illinois, Hurley told CBS Sports he was "looking for signs" that this might be UConn's year.
"Indiana boy brings us back here. Michigan's playing in the Final Four, Tarris Reed on the team. AK [Alex Karaban] comes back. You know, it's just a lot of things pointing in our direction," Hurley said.
On the walk into Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, cameras captured Hurley point out that one of his brother's old Duke games was playing on the TV. "That's got to mean something," Hurley said.
For UConn to win a national championship, Hurley might need the power of all of his good luck charms. The Huskies were heavy title game favorites in 2023 and 2024, but they are considerable underdogs against Michigan this time around.
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