Dan Hurley was introduced as the 19th head coach of the men’s basketball team on March 21.

Hurley, 39, arrived at URI after spending the previous two seasons as the head coach of Wagner College. While at the Staten Island school, Hurley orchestrated a complete turnaround of the Seahawks program. Inheriting a program that had won just five games in 2009–2010, he guided Wagner to 13 victories in his first season at the helm. The eight-win improvement was the nation’s best among first-year head coaches in 2010–2011.

Last season, Hurley guided the Wagner Seahawks to a 25–6 overall record and a 15–3 mark in Northeast Conference play. The Seahawks tied for second in the country with 12 road victories and an .800 road winning percentage (12-3).

“We want to be the hardest playing team in the country,” said Hurley. “We want to play with the most intensity, play both ends of the court at the highest level, and really just begin to establish our culture. Our culture is going to be established quickly in terms of doing the right things, and no one will work harder.”